Interning
by AngKay2010
Summary: Five-O gets a new member. A 17 year old as an intern. She's also Governor Jameson's neice. Set before Season 1 Finale. *Changes have been made.* Slight AU-ish.
1. Chapter 1

Steve and Danny sat in the lobby of the Governor's office, patiently waiting to see Governor Pat Jameson. Well as patient as Steve could be. He sat next to Danny, tapping his foot on the floor as a fast rate.

"Will you please stop that?" Danny asked, annoyed. It took a minute but he finally quit. Just in time for the receptionist to escort them into the office. They were greeted by the Governor, but there were two others in the office as well.

"Ah, Commander McGarrett, Detective Williams. Nice to see you gentleman." Governor Jameson said, shaking their hands.

"Governor." Steve replied. "What can we do for you?"

"I would like you to meet the three newest interns joining us. 20 year old David Jacobs, 19 year old Amanda Rivers, and 17 year old." She paused. "Well there is supposed to be three. Our third appears to be running late." As she finished her sentence, there was a disturbance in the lobby.

"You can't go in there!" The receptionist yelled. The doors to her office were thrown open and another teenager ran into the room. Steve cocked an eyebrow at the blonde running into the room.

"I am so sorry I'm late ma'am!" She exclaimed, stopping next to the other two. The receptionist came in running in after her but was stopped by Jameson.

"It's alright Diane. We've been expecting her." She told the other woman. When the doors were finally closed, she turned and gave the teen a disciplinary look.

"You had better have a good excuse Angel." Jameson said sternly. Steve and Danny gave each other an odd look.

"I had a game and you know how daddy is! He drives slow when he needs to be somewhere important and fast when there's no rush for it!" The young woman replied with a smile.

"At least tell me you won." Pat told her.

"I stole home for the win." She replied with a large grin. Pat gave her a small smile but quickly hid it. She patted the girl on the shoulder before turning to the two men.

"Gentleman, meet 17 year old Angel Johnson." The two men reached forward and shook the hands of all three interns. Steve noticed how professionally the older two were dressed and the youngest of the three was in a softball uniform covered in dirt. There was a spark felt between the two when their hands met. He also noticed how beautiful the young woman was. Carmel blonde hair pulled up into a high ponytail, sparkling blue eyes. She was a bit plump but not fat by any means. Just bigger. He wondered what she looked like without the uniform. But he immediately shook the thoughts out of his head.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but do you know your bleeding?" Danny asked the teen. Everyone turned their attention to her left knee which had a large scrape covering it and was slowly dripping blood down her leg toward her tall bright purple socks. Angel just shrugged her shoulders.

"Oh it's no big deal. I've dealt with way worse." She answered him. Danny grabbed a few tissues off from the governor's desk and handed them to the young woman.

"Thanks." Angel said shyly. Danny nodded in return and looked to Steve when he started speaking.

"With all due respect Governor, we have a lot of work to do so could you please tell us what we're doing here." He asked.

"Well as I said these three are interns. Mr. Jacobs here will be interning with our medical examiner, Dr. Bergman. Ms. Rivers will be in the forensics department, and Ms. Johnson will be with you and the rest of Five-O." She replied. Steve and Amanda instantly started yelling.

"What! You chose her for Five-O! Over me!" Amanda yelled.

"She's 17 years old! She's too young! What if she gets hurt?" Steve argued. They both continued spitting out arguments until Jameson waved her hand for them to stop.

"Enough! Now, Ms. Rivers, I seem to remember you having the highest science scores in your entire high school and ACT testing. This is a wonderful opportunity for you. I was also told that if you didn't participate in this program, that you were going to Germany with you parents and attending college there." She informed her. "As for Ms. Johnson you could say she has law enforcement in her blood. Her father is a U.S. Marshall, her sister is in law school, and her brother is in Afghanistan as we speak. To top it off, I am her aunt. If you would rather be on a plane to be with your parents, there's the door." The young woman looked to the floor and shook her head no in response. She then turned to Steve.

"Commander, she will be 18 in six months. Not only that but I believe you could give this girl quite a lot of encouragement and hopefully help her decide what she wants to do with her life. As far as getting hurt, she is more than capable of taking care of herself." Steve didn't reply. He just crossed his arms over his chest and scowled. Jameson walked to her desk and sat down. Steve's phone rang before she could say anything else.

"McGarrett." He answered. There were some words before he hung up and looked to Danny.

"That was Chin. We have a case." He said before turning and starting to walk out of the room.

"Commander?" The governor loudly asked. He stopped and turned back to see her motioning to Angel. "Forgetting something?" Steve gave another scowl before nodding his head to follow him. Angel looked at her aunt, with a slightly scared look on her face. Danny patted her on the shoulder.

"Don't worry. He's like that with everyone at first. Come on. We'll get your knee cleaned up so it doesn't get infected too." He said with a smile. She followed Danny out of the office and the building towards the waiting Camaro.

"Driving my car again." Angel heard Danny whisper under his breath.

"Does he do that a lot?" She asked. He only nodded his head in response and opened the car door for her. She squeezed into the back seat and felt an uncomfortable silence starting. Danny decided to start up a conversation to cure the awkwardness.

"So Angel, the governor is your aunt?" He asked from the front seat. She looked up to see Steve staring at her in the rearview mirror. A shiver ran up her spine at the look her was giving her.

"Technically no. Aunt Pat has known my parents since before my sister was born. They met at some conference thingy about some election. We moved a few times but they always kept in contact. But her and her husband are pretty close with my parents, so we just call her our aunt." She replied from the back seat. Danny and Steve shared a look. Danny reached under his seat and grabbed his small first aid kit and handed it to the young woman.

"Here, you can use this. Just try not to get blood or anything on the seats." He said with a smile. She took the kit with a smile of her own and started wiping up the dried blood.

"Your brother is in Afghanistan?" Steve questioned her. She paused in the middle of cleaning her injury and he noticed sadness wash across her face for a moment before she answered.

"Yes. This is his third deployment." Angel answered. Danny turned around in his seat to see her trying not to cry. She finished with the first aid kit and handed it back to him.

"Thanks."

"No problem." Danny answered. They didn't say anything else until they arrived at the crime scene. Steve jumped out of the car and all but ran inside. Danny helped Angel out of the backseat and showed her the way. Angel followed him into the house and was greeted with a swarm of people. Cops were everywhere. She saw Steve bent over a body talking to an two Asian looking men and csi's dusting for prints throughout the home. There was a Hawaiian woman talking to what she assumed would be the victim's family. Danny handed her a pair of gloves and they walked over to Steve. One of the men gave her a strange look. She smiled in return.

"Hi! I'm Angel Johnson." Angel told him thrusting her hand out toward him.

"Chin Ho Kelly. Five-O." The man replied shaking her hand. He looked at Danny and Steve with a questioning look.

"I'll be interning with you guys." She told him before they could answer. Angel looked down and went pale. Danny smirked at her reaction.

"First dead body?" He asked. Nodding her head in confirmation, she took a deep breath before kneeling down next to it. She instantly seen the three bullets in the man's back.

"Looks like he was running from his killer. He has bruises on his knuckles too. Put up a fight. Do we have an id yet?" Angel questioned. When no one replied, she pulled a wallet out of the man's back pocket. Flipping it open she looked at his driver's license. "Markus Erickson. 35. License says he's from Kansas." She put his wallet in an evidence bag while the medical examiner took the body away. Steve, Chin, and Danny all looked at her impressed.

"What?" She asked innocently. Just then the Hawaiian woman walked over.

"Alright, the wife says her husband stayed behind while she took the kids to the beach. Claims he had a tumor removed a few months ago and still gets a migraine every now and then. They came home and found him here." She told them and then noticed the girl standing next to Danny.

"Hi. Kono Kalakaua. Are you one of the interns?" She said giving Angels hand a shake.

"That's me. Angel Johnson. Nice to meet you."

"Likewise." Kono replied.

"Ok. So. We need to find out where he and his family have been since they got here. Kono talk to his family again and find out when they got here and if there has been anyone following them or if they've had any problems with anyone since they got here. Chin, run a background check. Find out if there's anyone that had problems with him and his family in the past." Steve ordered. Angel quit paying attention when she noticed drops of blood leading outdoors. She followed the trail into the backyard. It lead to the fence surrounding the property. Not noticing Steve walk up behind her, she jumped when he made his presence known.

"Sorry. Find something?" He asked with amusement evident in his voice.

"Our killer is injured. There's a trail of blood leading from the house to the fence here." She replied. When she looked down, she noticed something under the bush. Reaching her hand in, she pulled out a .45 semi-automatic handgun. Steve raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"Looks like it could be our murder weapon." She told him with a smile. Walking past him to go back into the house, she smiled in triumph. "Hey Danny, bag this for me will you." Danny turned to her and his eyes widened in shock.

"Where did you find that?" He stuttered. A few others in the room turned to look at the interaction.

"Outside in the bushes by the fence. I followed a trail of blood outside to the fence. Saw this on the ground." Angel told him proudly as she placed the gun in an evidence bag. Danny was impressed. Very impressed. She hadn't even been there an hour and was showing them all up. Steve walked back into the house and patted her on the shoulder as he walked by.

"Good job." He told her.

"Yes. That was great." Danny agreed. Angel gave a large smile and took her gloves off. Danny watched as she made her way outside and instantly knew that this girl was definitely the breath of fresh air Five-O had needed.

Thanks to Angel finding the murder weapon and their killer being injured, they finished the case before the end of the day. When they arrived back at Five-O HQ, Steve showed Angel her office. A small, dust filled room.

"Well. It's small. But it's nice. A little color and decoration will do wonders. Thank you." Angel told him with a smile. Steve leaned against her desk and watched her. Angel got the feeling of someone watching her and turned to Steve. Tilting her head to the side she returned the look he was giving her.

"Can I help you with something?" She asked.

"Yeah. I have a question." He responded.

"Well. I just might have an answer." Angel smiled.

"What's the real reason for the Governor to be putting an _intern_ on my team? My first guess would be to spy on me and my team. Second guess would be she doesn't trust that were doing a good enough job. With a family that she described you having, I couldn't imagine you not knowing what you wanted to do with your life." Steve questioned her. Her eyes narrowed.

"Unlike you _Commander, _I'm not inclined to follow in my family's footsteps." She retorted.

"Excuse me?" He asked her, standing to his full height and giving her one of his sinister glares. However, she didn't back down.

"You heard me. Yes my father is a U.S. Marshall. Yes my sister is going to be a lawyer. And yes my brother is a Marine. Just because it may 'run in my blood' doesn't mean I have to do everything my family does. Your grandfather was in the Navy who dies on the Arizona and your father was a cop who was murdered by an international arms dealer. So you probably felt the need to do everything they did. Not me. My father and brother encourage me to find something outside of war and law enforcement as a career. Although my aunt felt I needed a nudge in this direction." His glare increased at her remark but she continued. "The Governor trusts you more than anyone else. She knows you're doing an amazing job in keeping this island safe. You should feel damn lucky that she hasn't thrown your ass in jail with the stunts you've pulled. Instead you get full immunity and means. So maybe you should think about what you're going to say to someone before you say it."

"How did you know about my family?" He snapped.

"Do you really think a U.S. Marshall is going to just let his daughter join a team without knowing everything about each person on that team? Think again." She answered him. They didn't speak for a while after that. They just stood toe to toe glaring at one another. Neither of them seen Danny, Kono, Chin, and Jenna standing in the hallway watching and listening to them. Danny was the first to speak.

"I love how he can never make a good first impression on anyone. At least he didn't get her shot on her first day." Chin shook his head at Danny's remark and Kono just laughed. They continued to joke about their sometimes hard ass boss until an older man came into the office. Based on the resemblance they concluded it was Angel's father.

"Hello. How can we help you?" Kono asked him.

"Hello. Andrew Johnson. I'm Angel's father. Is she around?" As he finished his sentence, Steve stormed out of Angel's office and towards his own. Angel yelled after him.

"Maybe if you thought with the side of your brain that doesn't include guns, grenades, and blowing shit up, you would get things done faster with a hell of a lot less damage and casualties!" He ignored her and went into his office. "Asshole." She mumbled. Looking over at her new teammates, she noticed her father standing with them.

"Hi daddy!"

"Hi there. Your car is home so I decided I would come get you." He looked towards Steve's office when he finished. "I see you're already making friends. I'm going to guess that's Lieutenant Commander McGarrett." Angel nodded her head in response.

"We just had a little disagreement is all daddy."

"Ok. Just like when you and Jacob had a disagreement that ended up with you getting grounded and him having a broken arm." Her father told her. She smirked and shook her head, ignoring his remark.

"Daddy, I want you to meet Detective Danny Williams, Officer Chin Ho Kelly, Officer Kono Kalakaua, and Jenna Kay." He shook hands with each of them as they were introduced. "I would introduce you to McGarrett but he's..." She was cut off by Steve coming out to greet them.

"He's what?" Steve asked her.

"I was going to say, he's busy." She answered him.

"Steve McGarrett. Pleasure to meet you." Steve said thrusting his hand towards Angel's dad.

"Andrew Johnson. Pleasures all mine." He replied. "I came to pick-up my daughter if that's alright. Her sister is home and her mother would like her home for dinner. If she's able to leave."

"Oh no. Absolutely. It's perfectly fine to take her home right now." Steve told him quickly, Angel shot him a look before turning and leaving with her father. Before she got out the door Steve called out to her.

"Angel." She turned back to him.

"Yes, Commander?"

"We're going to get along just fine."


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: There are only slight changes but please go and re-read chapter one. I forgot to put it in the last chapter but Steve is younger in this fic! About 26 or 27. This is also going to slightly weave in and out of the actual time line. I'll be throwing in a few new scenarios of my own. Just a warning is all. It's a bit iffy but oh well. Thanks for the reviews! It is very much appreciated!

Over the next couple of weeks, Angel helped with cases, paperwork, and any other problems Five-O had. Three out of the four accepted Angel into the group easily. The fourth had a harder time. Steve still believed the Governor put Angel on his team for a reason. You don't just have a 17 year old intern for a specialized task force. Especially with the cases they take on. She was a sweet girl, sure. But there was something about her that got him. She was…peculiar. But she helped them get the job done so he would deal with it.

Steve POV

I was sitting at my desk when she came into my office. She sat across from me and crossed one leg over the other.

"What can I do for you Angel?" I asked her, not looking up from my paperwork.

"I want to go in the field with you from now on."

I stopped writing and looked up. I blinked a few times before answering.

"I'm sorry what?" I asked her again.

"You heard me. I've only been in the field once with you and that was only because the Governor made you take me. If I decide to make this my career, I need field experience."

I thought about her response for a few minutes. She did need the experience. But she doesn't have a badge and that could be a problem if she gets hurt.

"I'll think about it." I answered. Her eyes widened at my response.

"Real..Really?" She stuttered. With a smile I shook my head. She jumped from her chair and ran to my side of the desk, throwing her arms around me in a hug. It lasted only a moment before she pulled back and kissed my cheek.

"Thank you Steve." She told me with a smile before turning and skipping out of my office. I felt the spot where her lips had been go warm and tingly. Well. That was…odd.

Angel POV

'_Did I really just do that?' _I scolded myself, slapping my palm on my forehead. '_Why would you do that! He's your boss! He's older than you!'_ I sat behind my desk going over the mistake I just made. Kissing Steve on the cheek. Seriously? Well I mean it was on his cheek. So not terribly stupid. But still wrong. I looked at the clock and let a sigh escape my lips. I need to leave for my game. But I really don't want to go back into Steve's office. '_Buck up!' _My subconscious yelled. Adjusting my shirt, I stood tall and walked back to his office. Taking a deep breath I opened the door.

"Hey Steve?" His head shot up as I finished.

"Angel?"

"I have a game. Am I alright to go?" He looked at me a bit confused before he shook his head and told me to go.

"Yeah. Sure. Good luck."

"Thanks." I mumbled in return. Turning to leave, Danny opened the door for me.

"Hey kid. Don't you have a game? You're going to be late." He told me.

"Don't worry _dad_. I'm headed there now. Are you coming?"

"I wish I could. But I have a large pile of paperwork that I have been putting off for a week now. So I should probably get that done before the boss man loses it on me. I'll catch the next one."

"Alright. You had better catch the next one! When we win tonight, the next game will be the championship!" I told him excitedly. He shook his head at me in return.

"When? Don't you mean if? I mean you could lose." He told me with doubt evident in his voice.

"What! No faith my good man! We've only lost one game this season!"

Danny laughed at me and shook his head. He held his arms out and I gave him a hug.

"Well, that was for good luck. Now get out of here before you don't even get to play for being late." He said giving me a playful shove towards the door. I giggled at his antics and grabbed my purse and softball bag before leaving.

General POV

Steve dropped his pen in frustration and rubbed his hands across his face. He had only known the girl a couple weeks and she was 17! That kiss was so simple and innocent but it just confused the hell out of him. Danny came into the office and sat across from him.

"I seen that nice little interaction the two of you had. I think that was the first civil conversation you have had with her since she started." He said to Steve. Steve stood and walked to his window to look outside. He noticed Angel walking along the sidewalk to the parking lot. He just shook his head as she got in her Jeep Wrangler and took off down the road.

"I'm surprised she hasn't rolled that thing yet." He said to Danny. Danny snorted in return.

"I'm surprised you haven't gotten her shot at yet." Steve shot him a glare at his remark.

"She asked me to let her go in the field from now on."

"I think she needs to. I mean she may just be an intern but this could turn into a permanent thing for her. She needs the experience."

"She's going to need trained. Hand to hand and weapons." Steve said crossing his arms over his chest.

"So train her! What's the big deal?" Danny said throwing his hands around.

"I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"I don't want her to end up getting hurt."

"Steve, Angel is a big girl. I'm sure she would prevent herself from getting seriously injured. While you're training her, talk to her. Get to know her. If you do then maybe the two of you will stop being so hostile towards each other." Danny answered him standing from his chair and leaving the office. Steve decided Danny was right. He would train her and get to know her. 'Ill go to her house later. Tell her the situation.' He told himself. As he sat back in his chair, Danny poked his head through the door.

"Oh by the way. Be careful what you teach her. We don't need another one of you running around."

Two Hours later

Angel burst through the door of her house excitedly. Her parents looked up from their seats in the kitchen as she skipped into the room.

"We won! We're going to the championship!"

"Congratulations honey! Sorry we missed it." Her mother told her.

"That's ok. I'm going to shower!" She told them and ran upstairs.

15 minutes later, she skipped into the kitchen again and started helping her mom make dinner. Her three out of four siblings were in the room as well. Laura her older sister was rambling on about her time in law school while her little brother and sister were setting the table. Her little sister Megan giggled at the way Angel rolled her eyes at their oldest sibling. Laura's fiancé David was sitting at the table reading the newspaper.

"I had the highest score in my class. I'm on the Deans list too!" Laura told their mother proudly.

"That's wonderful sweetheart! I'm so proud of you." Her mother said patting her on the back. "Angel honey go get your father."

"DADDY!"

"I could have done that." Her mom scolded her. Angel just smirked in response. The doorbell interrupted their conversations.

"I got it." Angel's father yelled to them. They all sat at the table and patiently waited for their father. After a few minutes he came into the room. But he wasn't alone.

"Steve? What are you doing here?" Angel questioned.

"Angel. I came to answer your question from earlier today." Her eyes lit up at his answer.

"Angel, why don't you introduce us." Her mother said from down the table.

"Steve, this is my mom, Becky, my little sister Megan, my little brother Jacob, my older sister Laura and her fiancé David Matthews. Everyone this is my boss Lieutenant Commander Steve McGarrett."

"It's wonderful to finally meet you Commander." Angel's mother told him as she shook his hand. "Would you like to join us for dinner?"

"Oh no thank you. I'll pick something up on my way home. And please call me Steve." Steve replied. Angel's mom shook her head.

"Oh I won't have that. You need a home cooked meal. Angel grab an extra plate. You can sit here, Steve."

"There's no point in arguing. She did the same thing to me when I first met the family." Her brother in law told him from down the table. Steve smiled and sat next across from Angel.

"So what's this question you had Angel?" Her father demanded. Angels gave Steve a look as he answered for her.

"She asked me to let her into the field."

"Do you think that's the best thing for her?" Andrew asked.

"Well if she wants to make this a full time thing after her internship, she does need the experience." Steve answered.

"She would need training. My daughter doesn't have much of it besides the basic self defense maneuvers I showed all of my children." Her father then stated. Steve nodded in response.

"I would be willing to train her myself."

"Excellent. Although I don't like the idea of another one of my kids going into this job field, she seems to be enjoying it. But she is only 17. I would be trusting you with keeping her alive, Commander." Andrew told them with a nod. Steve and Angel shared a large smile and the rest of dinner was spent with laughs and conversation. Angel walked Steve out to his truck after her mother insisted her stay for dessert. Which was her famous peach cobbler. To Angel's amazement, Steve ate every last bite. He even had seconds.

"I thought you didn't eat sweets?" Angel asked him as they walked outside.

"Normally I don't. But that was pretty good."

"My mom's cobbler is amazing. Back where we used to live, she entered it in the county fair dessert contest and won first place three years in a row." She told him proudly.

"Where did you use to live?"

"Macon, Georgia."

"I thought I caught a hint of an accent in your voice." Steve stated. She shook her head in response.

"When do we start training?" Angel questioned him excitedly.

"Tomorrow. We'll start off slow. Just basic strength training and then move on to weapons. But tomorrow I want to see how much you really know. And how much you can handle." He answered with a smile.

"I'm sorry. Handle? Handle what exactly?"

"Basic training. I'll go easy on you but I'll give you some of the same training I got when I joined the Navy." A small look of fear crossed Angel's features.

"Oh. O..o..ok." She said quietly. "Just don't kill me. I mean I play softball and I'm somewhat fit but this body has a hard time with serious exercise." She told him motioning to her figure. Steve laughed at her response.

"Don't worry. You'll be fine. Get some sleep tonight. We have the day off tomorrow, so I'll be here at 6." He told her, climbing into his truck. Her mouth fell open to form an o shape.

"Wait! 6 in the morning! Are you crazy! I never get up that early! That's insane!" She exclaimed. Steve just laughed as he backed out of her driveway.

"Don't worry!" He yelled from the street before driving off.

Angel huffed and crossed her arms over her chest as she watched him leave.


	3. Chapter 3

Steve sat in his truck in Angel's driveway, cell phone to his ear, impatiently tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. It was now 6:10 in the morning and Angel was nowhere to be seen nor was she answering her phone. Then a knock on the window jolted him. Opening the passenger door, Angel gave him a tired smile.

"Morning." She told him with a yawn as she buckled her seatbelt. Steve watched as she slowly leaned the seat back to a lying position and snuggled into her hoodie. "Wake me when we're there."

"I don't think so." He replied, very stern and backed out of the driveway.

"I need an energy drink if I'm going to be up this early."

"Energy drinks aren't good for you." He responded. The rest of the ride was spent in silence, with Angel trying to wake herself up.

"Where are we?"

"Koko head." Steve confirmed. "This is your first challenge."

"How many steps are there?"

"1,048." He watched as she eyed the stairway nervously. "Well. Let's go."

"Do I have to run?" She asked.

"Yup. You'll be ok. Let's go." He told her as he took off in front of her. After taking a deep breath, she ran after him. He had slowed down so she could catch up but soon stopped when he didn't notice her behind him. Steve jogged back down the stairs to where Angel was sitting, clutching her knee. She was breathing heavily and sweat dripped from her face and her shirt was soaked. When he kneeled in front of her, he noticed a large red mark above her eye.

"Are you ok?" He asked her.

"I biffed it. I barely caught myself. But I still got my knee on one of the steps." She told him, trying to calm her breathing. He gently lifted her chin to examine her face and was slightly mesmerized by her ocean blues. The trance was broken when she looked away. But he lifted her chin once more and looked at the mark.

"Well you're going to have a bruise but you'll be ok." He said moving to look at her knee. "It's swollen but it's not bad. Let's go. I have stuff to wrap it in my truck." He stood and held his hand out to help her up and had to catch her when she stumbled.

"Whoa there. Be careful." He told her and gently helped her stand. "Do you want me to carry you?"

"No. Its ok, I can walk. It's just going to take me a little but to get down to the bottom." He held an arm around her waist and waited as she took her time with each step.

"I made it pretty for didn't I? For my first time?"

"Yeah. You did great. After a while you'll be able to make it all the way to the top."

When they reached the last few stairs, her knee finally gave out. She collapsed into his chest and groaned. She tried taking another step, but fell again. Steve then lifted her into his arms, bridal style and carried her the last few feet to his truck. He opened the door and placed her in the passenger seat. She gasped as he slid her Capri yoga pants up her leg to look at her knee. His hands left a tingling sensation wherever they went. The good feelings where soon gone as he touched a tender spot.

"OUCH!" Then she flinched away.

"Sorry. Sorry." He reached under the seat and pulled out his first aid kit. Steve quickly unzipped it and grabbed an ice pack and wrap. "Here, shake this to make it cold." She didn't waste any time and shook it furiously. When she deemed it cold enough, she placed it on her knee and let out a whimper as he wrapped it.

"That will be ok for now. But you need to be careful and not put too much weight on it." Steve told her, while putting away the kit.

"Hey. What's that on your window?" She asked him. He stopped and looked at the small white envelope that had been stuck under the windshield wiper. Pulling it out, he opened it to reveal a small key.

"Who the hell would leave you a key without telling you where it goes?" Angel questioned him when he got in the driver's seat.

"The same person who's been leaving these for me over the last few weeks."

"Do you know who it is?"

He shook his head in response.

"Whoever it is, knew about why my mother and father were killed. I think they are trying to lead me to something. I just don't know what it is." She pondered his statement for a minute before asking him a question.

"What do you think that key goes to?"

"A desk maybe? Or a chest of some kind. One thing I know for sure is that it belonged to my father." They drove in silence for a while until Steve pulled into his driveway and parked the truck.

"Where are we now?" Angel asked him as he opened the door and helped her out.

"My house. This is where we will be doing everything except for firearms. We'll go to the firing range for that." Steve helped her into the house and helped her to the basement. She looked around the various amounts of equipment in the room and sat on a bench.

"I figured we could just work on upper body strength for now until your knee is ok." Angel nodded in approval and looked down at her leg sadly.

"Why don't we start with firearms?" She asked with a grin.

"Some guns have a pretty damn hard kickback. I want to make sure you are able to fire one without blowing your arm out. Let's get started."

Two hours later, Angel collapsed on her bed and instantly fell asleep. She woke half an hour later to her phone ringing loudly on her nightstand.

"Hello?" She groaned into the speaker.

"Hey. It's Steve. We got a case. Be ready."


	4. Chapter 4

Angel sighed as she spun around in her chair. Steve didn't want her at the crime scene so she was stuck at the office. Bored and waiting for her orders. She stopped momentarily to look at her phone on the desk. When it didn't ring, she spun once more in the opposite direction. Right when she thought she was going to be sick, her phone lit up and Steve's name flashed across the screen. Slamming her hands on the desk to stop herself, she quickly answered.

"Johnson."

"Angel. I need you to run a name for me." Steve said on the other end.

"About time! I've been bored as hell sitting here with nothing to do!" She responded.

"Renny Sinclair." Steve told her, ignoring her comment.

"The photographer?" She questioned.

"You've heard of him?" Danny asked.

"Fashion photographer. He's pretty famous in the industry. I see his photos all the time in cosmo."

"Well run his background. Get me his phone records, travel history, business associates, anything you can. We need to find out who our vic is and why someone wanted him dead." Steve ordered.

"Will do."

"OK. We will be there in twenty." Angel set her blackberry on the edge of the smart computer and got to work. She typed at a fast rate and smiled to herself, glad to finally be doing something useful.

Twenty minutes later, Angel hobbled outside to meet Steve and Danny in the courtyard. Danny gave her a confused look as she came forward.

"What the hell happened to you?"

"I fell during our run this morning and hit my knee when I landed. It's only bruised but it still hurts like a bitch." She told him while handing off the file of information.

"Wow. Not even a full day with you and she's already hurt."

"Hey! It wasn't my fault. It's not like I pushed her. She tripped all on her own." Steve argued with his shorter friend.

"Yeah ok. Keep telling yourself that." Angel laughed at Danny's response before diving into the information she found.

"So I found out he is the most boring celebrity ever. No criminal record. Not even a speeding ticket since he was a teenager. Except his phone records. No phone calls. All texts."

"Why all text?" Steve asked. "And why is a fashion photographer texting in all code? You know what, I'll have Catherine take a look at it. Maybe she can.." Danny cut him off before he could finish.

"No, no. I got this. This is daddy's world." Angel and Steve both gave him a confused look. "These are bets. Look here. We got Boston by 2. The NYK that's the Knicks down by 2.5"

"So he was a gambler?" Angel concluded. "That explains his financials then."

" Look at this guy! Every penny that goes in goes right back out!" Steve exclaimed.

"Alright, we need to find out who his bookie is. Good work Angel." He added and nodded to her. She gave him a large smile in return.

"What do you need me to do now?"

"Just sit tight, until we need more information." He told her and started to walk off with Danny.

"Seriously! I'm bored as hell! Give me something! Anything!"

"You can get lunch. I don't know about Steve but I am starving." Danny said and rubbed his belly.

"Yes! Perfect! Go over to Rainbows and get us some food. Get some money from Danno here." Steve agreed with a smile. Danny looked at him angrily.

'Really? I bought lunch yesterday. It's your turn Steven."

"I need your keys too."

"No. I bought lunch yesterday Daniel. Today is your turn. And why do you need my keys?" Steve argued.

"You picked me up from my house. I don't have my car."

Steve sighed and ran a hand over his face before getting pointed looks from his two teammates. He threw his hands in the air and started digging in his pockets.

"Here. Keys and money."

Angel quickly snatched them from his hands and started hobbling away.

"Thanks boss!"

Angel hopped into Steve's truck and took a deep breath. The smell of his cologne filled the cab and she felt her heart flutter. She shook her head in attempt to remove the thought of her boss smelling sexy from her mind and started the truck. Looking out the window, she noticed Steve watching her closely, so she rolled the window down.

"Steve. Don't freak out. I will be safe with your truck."

"Don't crash it. Don't speed. And DON'T turn on the siren and lights just to go through a red light!"

"Hey! That was one time! And we were in a rush! Kono told me it was acceptable."

"Well remind me to yell at Kono the next time I see her."

"Goodbye Steve!" Angel said and drove away. She glanced in the rearview to see him still watching like a hawk. So she flipped on the lights and sped out of the parking lot. Her phone rang immediately after and she laughed as she hit the ignore button.

An hour later, Angel limped into the office with everyone's lunch.

"You alright?" Chin asked while coming out to help her. She nodded without saying anything, and quickly sat in a chair.

"It hurts pretty damn bad right now."

"Hey took you long enough." Steve said opening his office door. "You are not driving my truck anymore, lead foot." He told her, then noticed her pained look. "You ok?"

"I'm good. Knee hurts." He returned to his office and came back with a bag of ice and a bottle of pain killers.

"Here. Put your leg up in this chair and I'll put this on your knee." He helped her lift her leg before opening the bottle. "Take one of these and you'll be good to go for a while."

They started eating and ate in silence for 10 minutes before Chin finally spoke up.

"I got some information on the silver Porsche that left the photo shoot before the explosion."

"What did you find out?" Steve asked.

Angel listened in as she ate. She tried to catch as much as she could but the pain in her knee was still throbbing away. She understood that his bookie, Marcum, was at his trailer before he died. Seemed like a major suspect. She picked up their trash while Danny and Steve left to talk to a local gambler. Danny called him a whale. Not sure what he was talking about but she was sure to find out soon enough.

Once the pain in her knee calmed down, she was able to move around better without any problems. Then Steve called and gave her more information.

"$218,579? That's a large, specific amount of money." She said while typing information into the computer as Steve continued speaking on the phone.

"Yeah and Sinclair signed over the first $400,000 of his photo books to pay him back. Has Chin left yet?"

"Just a few minutes ago. Why?"

"He's dealing with some family stuff right now. I'll give him a call. Find out what you can."

"Got it. Laters!" She said and ended the call.

Soon after the call, Steve and Danny returned with Angel having new information.

"Ok. So, I found out that the amount of money he borrowed is the exact amount the U.S. Department of Agriculture determined as the amount of money needed to raise a child to 18."

"Ok. That makes sense because I believe he had a daughter with Shannon Lucero."

"Hey guys. I got the name of the person who bought the gas. A Pauline Lucero." Kono exclaimed when she came running through the door and stopped at the computer to pull up the information. A young womans passport picture came up on the screen and Chin looked at it confused.

"Wait a second. That's the girl I talked to at the beach." He said and pulled up another passport. "This is Amy. Renny's production assistant. She told me she just started working for him, two weeks ago."

"So that's our killer." Angel concluded as Steve and Danny rushed out the door to find Pauline.

"Find out where shes staying!" Steve yelled before the door closed behind him.

An hour later, Steve was dropping Angel off at home.

"Good work today." He said, pulling into her driveway.

"Thanks. I'm glad I could help. I just cant believe someone would want to kill their father. I understand being upset he wasn't there but I would never want to resort to murder." She answered before opening the door and carefully stepping out. "Training in the morning?"

Steve nodded in response and gave her a smile when she closed the door.

When she walked into her house, she saw her little brother playing his playstation and her little sister sitting on the couch coloring. Her mother and older sister were at the dining room table talking about the wedding and her father was standing in the kitchen eating a bowl of ice cream.

"Hi daddy." She said to him and gave him a hug. "I love you.

"I love you too sweetheart. What was that for?"

"Just wanted you to know that I love you." She smiled.

"Oh. Well I love you too. How is the case going?"

"We caught the killer. Steve and Danny caught her trying to leave the hotel." She responded and pulled out a cup to fill with water.

"Her?" Her mom questioned.

"Yeah. The guy that was killed was her father. He wasn't in her life but he didn't even know about her until recently. He had a trust started for her and everything. I guess I just don't understand people." Angel said and shrugged her shoulders.


	5. Chapter 5

Two months later

Angel breathed heavily as she ran across the beach to keep up with Steve. She smiled as she closed in on him and laughed when she started to pass him. His truck was in sight and she pushed herself harder to beat him. Reaching the truck first, she cheered when she stopped and Steve came in after her.

"YES! I beat you! I FINALLY beat you!" She said and pumped her fists in the air before collapsing on the sand.

"Yeah. You finally beat me." He congratulated her and grabbed two water bottles out of the cooler in his truck. "Here, before you get dehydrated."

She nodded in appreciation before twisting off the cap and taking a long drink.

"So you start school next week. Are you excited?" He asked and sat next to her.

"Not really. I mean I'm glad that it's my senior year and all but I'm not a big fan of school." She replied and looked at the man next to her. Over the last couple of months she had gotten close to the older man. He was pretty much her best friend. Or the closest thing to it. She had also developed quite the crush on him as well. He was funny, caring, and very head strong. Angel knew that it was only one sided as well. Steve was a very respectful, responsible man and as she found out, already had a girlfriend. Catherine was in the NAVY and a perfect match for him. Angel had never met Catherine but was jealous of the woman who held Steve's heart.

"Come on. School isn't that bad."

"You're not a teenage girl Steve." She argued.

"As if there's a difference."

"There's a major difference!" She told him and sat up.

"How so?"

"You grew up here. You knew everyone. You played football and were the star quarterback. Everyone loved you. I'm still considered the new girl. I only know a couple of people. I don't get along with a lot of girls so I get treated different because I'm not a cheerleader and I don't wear skirts or dresses or makeup."

Steve sat in silence and watched the young woman next to him. He could see the pained look in her eyes as she spoke. He had noticed over the days spent with her that she really didn't have many friends. A couple of the girls from her softball team maybe but other than that all she really had, was her family.

"One more year. That's what I keep telling myself. One more year and I'm done with high school. Then I can join Five-O full time and be done with uppity, bitchy, teenage girls."

Steve smiled and wrapped his arm over her shoulder.

"Just remember you have me, Danno, Chin, and Kono all here for you too." He said and pulled her to his side to kiss her temple. He watched as a blush started creeping up her neck to her cheeks when she looked down. Steve smiled when she finally looked up at him again. In the time he had known her, he had started to get close to the younger girl. He was starting to care for her more than he should. She was only 17_. _But she was different. They're training had brought them closer. He had learned she had a big heart and wanted to help anyone and everyone she could. She was sweet but she sure had a mean right hook. She was definitely more confident in herself since they had started their training.

They looked at each other for a few minutes before Angel looked towards the ocean.

"Isn't it so beautiful here?" She said to him. He smiled and nodded.

"Yeah. It really is." The remark had a double meaning. Steve realized in that moment how beautiful she actually was. It was also that moment that he knew he had to fight the feelings that were starting to overtake him. She was ten years younger than him. He shouldn't be feeling anything for her other than as a friend. It took him a moment to realize his phone was ringing in his truck. He stood and jogged over to it and answered just before it ended.

"McGarrett."

Angel watched as he spoke quickly and nodded before hanging up.

"Let's go. You're due in the field."

Her heart flipped and she scrambled to her feet to run to him. She enveloped him in a tight hug and gave him a bright smile.

"Thank you! I'm so excited!"

He gave her a smile in return before letting go and getting into the truck.

Four hours later Angel was running once again. This time chasing after a suspect wanted in a double rape/homicide. Steve and Danny were right behind her. She was getting closer so she pushed herself harder. When the suspect ran into traffic a car stopped and Angel jumped onto the hood and jumped on top of the fleeing man. They stumbled onto the ground and he shook her off him then proceeded to punch her in the ribs once and twice in the gut. With the adrenaline pumping through her, she shook it off and kicked him in the face. He moved away and stood throwing another punch in her direction. She blocked the punch and shoved her fist into his stomach and her knee in his face when he doubled over. He hit the ground hard and she flipped him over to cuff him. Steve and Danny came to a halt behind her and looked surprised.

"Did you really jump onto the hood of that car when it was barely stopped?" Danny asked her, out of breath. When she nodded in reply, he looked at Steve. "I thought I told you not to make her into you?"

Angel laughed and Steve shook his head at his partner. A few minutes later, Angel was handing the wanted man off to Duke and walked away with Steve. She didn't get far as the pain from the guy punching her in the chest hit her full force.

"Owww." She said stopping and putting her hands on her ribs and doubled over.

"Hey, hey, hey. You alright?" He asked worriedly.

"Yeah. I think he bruised my ribs though." She told him and took a breath.

"We need to get you checked out. Come on." He said and rushed her over to the car.

"Steve. I'm fine. I had my vest on so it didn't do much damage. I'll be ok."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I'm sure." She assured him with a smile.

"Well that was a nice quick open and close case. Let's get some food!" Danny said, clapping his hands together.

"Yes! Pizza sounds amazing!" Angel agreed.

So they went out and ate and laughed. Angel decided that she definitely wanted to do this full time after high school. Training was going well and she got a long great with everyone on the team.

"So we still need to figure out my schedule for when I start school next week." Angel said to Steve after taking a bite of pizza. He nodded in agreement and took a swig from his beer before answering.

"I already talked to the Governor about it. You'll go to school the first half of the day then come to the office when you get out. You already have most of your credits so you don't have many required classes left."

Angel smiled at his answer before taking a bite of pizza. She didn't say much else the rest of the night, she just listened to her fellow teammates talk and laughed at Steve and Danny's bickering.

A month into her senior year things were going well for Angel. She was keeping up in her classes while still helping with cases and training with Steve. Lately Steve had been acting different though. More distant and snappy with her. She figured he was stressed. Angel also had a hard time keeping her thoughts on anything but Steve. It was hard pushing away a crush when you saw the person every day. So here she was, having lunch with her aunt at the Governors estate. Her Aunt Pat was talking about something but Angel was off in her own little world. Thinking about Steve. Again.

"Angel." Her aunt said with a snap of her fingers.

"What?" She answered, slightly startled.

"Were you listening?"

"Oh. No. Sorry. I was thinking about something else." Her aunt smiled a knowing smile before sending her another question.

"Would that happen to be about a certain tall, charming, lieutenant commander McGarrett?"

Angel's eyes widened as she spit out some of her drink.

"What? No way. I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh my dear. You forget that I was your age once." Her aunt told her. "Besides, I recognize the look."

"What look?" Angel questioned.

"The 'I'm head over heels in love' look."

"Oh no. No. No. No. It's just a crush. I'm not head over heels. Definitely not." She stuttered out quickly. Before tilting her head to the side and asking her another question. "What do you mean you recognize it?"

"I don't think I ever told you this but my husband was seven years older than me." Angel looked shocked. "Yes. I was fifteen when we met. We became very good friends before we dated. Back then it wasn't as looked down upon to be older than your significant other but my parents were still very disapproving. We tried to keep it hidden. But they found out and forbade me from seeing him."

"But obviously it didn't stop you."

"Oh of course not. It was hard at first. Especially when he was called overseas. But when he came back I was eighteen. So we married and had been together up until the day he passed."

"I never knew that." She said, looking down at her plate. "Steve's great but it's completely one sided and he has Catherine. So there's no need for me to think about it anymore. Besides it would never happen. Steve is way too responsible to let himself get mixed up with someone ten years younger than him."

"I wouldn't be too sure of that."

"Why?" Angel asked.

"Lieutenant Rollins isn't the right girl for Steve. She is far too uptight. Steve needs someone carefree and adventurous."

"Is that why you made me an intern? You're trying to play matchmaker! Aunt Pat are you crazy! Do you know how much trouble he can get in?"

Her aunt laughed before shaking her head.

"No that is not why I made you an intern. But if that's how it turns out then you cant really get mad at me."

"Before Angel could respond her phone started vibrating on the table and Steve's name flashed across the screen. Her eyes lit up and she quickly answered.

"What's up Steve?"

"_Hey I need you to come to the office."_

"Alright. I'll be there soon."

Her aunt gave her another knowing look but Angel just made a face, before leaning down to hug her.

"Thanks for lunch. Sorry to cut it short. Same time next week?" Pat nodded in response and Angel turned to leave but almost bumped into someone. "Oh. Excuse me."

The man smiled and motioned for her to walk by. When she was gone he sat in the chair she had previously occupied.

"Your niece is very beautiful. It is a shame she is in love with someone like Commander McGarrett."

"Steven isn't a bad person. He is just very determined to find out what happened to his parents."

"This will end up killing him in the end. Let us hope your niece doesn't end up in the crossfire."

"Keep her out of this. She doesn't need to get hurt."

"What time will he be here?"

"I would imagine around 11 tonight." She answered and stood to leave, stopping to shake his hand. "I must be going. I have things to attend to at the office."

Wo Fat stood and shook her hand in return before allowing her to walk out before him.


	6. Chapter 6

"Ok. So let me get this straight. Steve and Kono broke into the forfeiture locker, stole money to save Chins life, the money gets burned and recovered by HPD and Kono gets the blame for it. Now Steve is being framed for a murder he didn't commit?" Angel questioned Danny as they drove across town.

"Yeah that about sums it up." He answered with a shake of his head.

"Who the hell would try and frame him for her murder?"

Danny gave her a look before answering.

"I really don't think you want to know."

"Danny. Tell me right now." She demanded.

"Alright. Just don't freak out on me. It was all Steve's idea." He said and reached behind the seat to retrieve a file. Placing it in her lap, he braced himself for the freak out.

"MY AUNT! WHAT THE HELL IS THE MATTER WITH HIM!"

Danny didn't answer, just listened/

"DOESN'T HE KNOW SHE IS THE GOVERNOR AND THAT SHE WOULD NEVER DO SOMETHING CRAZY LIKE HANG OUT WITH TERRORISTS! HE IS COMPLE…" She stopped her rampage when she picked up a picture from the file. Understanding filtered through her body when she recognized the man in the photo.

"What? What's wrong?" Danny asked, worriedly.

"Who is the guy in this picture?" She questioned and turned it for him to see.

"That is Wo Fat. He is the guy who planted the car bomb that killed Steve's mom and Laura today." Angel closed her eyes and waited for him to continue. "He also gave the order for the murder of Steve's dad." She took a deep breath and sighed.

"He was at my aunts today. I bumped into him when I was leaving."

"That's not good." There was static then the scanner in Danny's car came to life.

"_Attention all units we have a 187 at the Governors residence on Kawaii drive."_

Danny and Angel shared a look before he stepped on the gas and raced to the scene. When they arrived police cars, swat, and ambulances were everywhere. Angel jumped out of the car and ran to the steps in time to see Chin escorting a handcuffed Steve McGarrett out of the home.

"Steve! Chin! What's going on! Why is he handcuffed?"

"I'm sorry. But he's under arrest for the murder of Governor Pat Jameson." Chin told her. She looked to Steve with tear filled eyes.

"Steve?"

"I didn't do it. It was Wo Fat. Please Angel you have to believe me. I didn't kill her." He pleaded as Chin walked him to the nearest police car.

"Chin. What are you doing? Let him go!" Danny said to Chin following behind the trio.

"It's out of my jurisdiction. I'm sorry."

"What do you mean it's out of your jurisdiction? We're five-o!" Danny argued with him.

"Don't you get it! There is no more Five-O!" Chin yelled and put Steve in the car. Angel leaned against the window to try and speak to him.

"Don't worry Steve. We believe you. We're going to get you out of this. I promise!" She yelled to him before the car pulled out of the driveway.

A week later, Angel sat next to her parents, dressed head to toe in black as they laid her aunt to rest. She held her mother's hand as she cried for her best friend and fought to hold back her own set of tears. The week had been hell. Neither she nor Danny had been able to get in to see Steve as he didn't want to see them whenever they tried. The new Governor was trying to set an example out of Steve that there was no tolerance for misbehavior especially from someone in uniform. They finally had enough of his avoiding them so they were going to the prison and weren't leaving until they saw him. After Danny picked up an old friend of Steve's from the airport.

Once the funeral was over, Angel tried speaking to Chin but he was walking very fast away from her. She finally caught up with him when he told her to walk with him. They reached a vehicle where a man was waiting to enter.

"You have some nerve showing up here." Chin said to the man and his two cronies decided to attack them. One tried punching Angel but she blocked it and shoved her palm into his nose while Chin put the other one down as well. She walked forward very determined and spoke words, dripping with anger.

"We know it was you. And believe me when I tell you that it is only a matter of time before we catch you."

Wo Fat gave her an angered look before opening the door and sliding into the waiting vehicle. She watched the vehicle drive away before turning back to Chin. He opened his arms and she gratefully stepped into a hug.

"Where have you been all week?" She asked him when they stepped apart.

"Busy. I'm trying to find a way to get Steve out of there."

She nodded before looking over his shoulder to her dad motioning for her to come with them.

"But I bet this guy is going to miss this." He told her and showed her the wallet he pick pocketed. Angel laughed before bidding goodbye and rushing over to her family.

The next day, Angel woke with a feeling of change lurking in her belly. So that's what she decided to do. Change. She quickly showered without washing her hair and dressed. Danny had sent her a text letting her know that visitation was at 11 so that gave her 4 hours to get ready. She jumped into her car and rushed to the salon. When the stylist asked her what she wanted she smiled and said, "Change."

Danny stood outside the prison with Steve's former commanding officer, Joe, waiting for the young intern.

"Where is this person we are waiting for? If we don't get in there soon, we won't be able to see him at all." Joe said to him.

"There she is right now." Danny assured him when he saw her jeep come into view. But he was shocked to see the woman jumping out. "What the hell did you do?" He asked and held up a hand to block the brightness of her appearance.

"What? You don't like it?" She asked and flipped her hair over her shoulder.

"It's um. Very different. That's for sure."

"Is this the friend of Steve's you were talking about?"

"Joe White meet Angel Johnson. She's our intern. Joe used to be Steve's commanding officer."

"Pleasure to meet you." She said, shaking his hand.

"Likewise."

Angel nodded and walked past them through the waiting doors. They waited a few minutes for the guards to retrieve Steve. Danny let Angel see him first and stood outside the doors while she went in. Steve sat down on the other side of the glass and gave her a confused look. They picked up the phones simultaneously and she smiled at his strange look.

"Do I know you?"

"Seriously? You've been in here a week and you've already forgotten what I looked like?"

"Angel? What the hell did you do to your hair!"

"Don't you like it?"

"It's bright! I never pegged you as a red hair person. How much did you cut off? It looks shorter and you have bangs now." He said and pressed closer to the glass. She smiled at the fact he noticed and turned for him to see it.

"Five inches. Then a couple more when they did the layers."

"It looks good. Red looks nice on you."

She looked down and felt the heat of her blush climbing up her neck to her cheeks. There was a moment of silence before she looked him in the eyes, sadness now covering her features.

"You know we're going to get you out of here right? We're doing everything we can." He smiled and nodded.

"Yeah. I know. How has school been going?"

She snorted before going into detail about the previous week. The replacement Governor decided she wasn't needed any longer and put her back into school full time. So she dragged her feet all day until she went home and sat on the couch.

"Don't worry. When I get out of here, I'll get you back on the team."

"Thanks. Well I better get going. Danno wants to see you too." Steve nodded and pushed his fist to the glass in a mock fist bump. Angel smiled and returned the gesture before hanging up the phone to leave. She waited for Danny and Joe to be in the room before she went to her car and let the tears fall. But after a minute, her tears turned to determination and she started the vehicle to leave. She would figure out how to get him out of there. Even if she had to break him out. So she returned home to figure things out. When she slumped on the couch with her father three hours later to watch the afternoon news, all planning came to a halt when a breaking news feed came across the screen.

"_This just in. Moments ago, a prisoner being transferred by ambulance to Kings Memorial hospital from Alahamahi Prison, escaped." _Angel shot up off the couch when Steve's mug shot flashed on the screen. _"Lieutenant Commander Steven McGarrett was stabbed by a fellow inmate then proceeded to attack EMTs on the way to the hospital before jumping out of the moving vehicle. Authorities are looking for Commander McGarrett and if anyone has any information regarding his whereabouts please contact the Honolulu Police Department immediately."_ Soon after the broadcast ended, her phone beeped and there was a knock on the door. She jumped over the couch and ran to answer it. Disappointment flooded her when she saw Duke on the other side.

"Duke? What are you doing here?"

"I'm sure you heard about Steve. He hasn't tried to contact you in any way has he?"

"No."

"Alright. If he does contact you, please, please, call me. He's already in trouble, we don't need you getting in trouble with him." Angel nodded and smiled before closing the door. Her parents were giving her knowing looks but she ignored them and picked up her phone before starting toward the stairs.

"Angel Marie, you stop right there." Her father demanded. The only time he used her middle name is when he meant business so she stopped and turned to face him.

"Yes daddy."

"I don't want you helping him."

"I won't daddy."

"I'm serious Angel. He is a murdering backstabber. I don't want to see you getting hurt." Angel grew angry at his remark and yelled at her father.

"He didn't kill Aunt Pat! Wo Fat did!" Her parents were taken back by this and her father shook his head.

"I don't know why you believe him! They found him standing over the body, with the gun in his hand!"

"He was framed! Aunt Pat was working with Wo Fat and he turned around and killed her!" Her mother stepped in after her declaration.

"She would never work with a terrorist!"

"He was at her house that day mom!" She got a confused look from both of them.

"What are you talking about?" Her father questioned.

"Last week when I had lunch with her, I was leaving and I bumped into him. I didn't know who he was until Danny showed me a picture. But he was there. Steve did not kill her." When they didn't respond, she turned and ran up the stairs to her room. After opening the text from Danny, she changed her clothes and grabbed her car keys and quietly opened her bedroom window. She waited two minutes, when she didn't here either of her parents coming up the stairs, she crept out and jumped onto the nearest tree branch. Quickly climbing down, she ran to her jeep and jumped in. Starting the car, she sped off down the road to the address Danny sent her.

Twenty minutes later, she walked up to Kamakonas shave ice bar and attempted to use the restroom.

"I'm sorry little sister but my restroom is currently out of order."

"Kamakona come on I have to pee really bad."

"I wish I could help you kid but I can't let you back there." He said with a shake of his head.

"You don't recognize me do you?" She asked him quietly. He gave her a questioned look and nodded. So she pulled her hair back away from her face.

"Ohhh it's the big man's little helper! You changed my friend."

"Yes. Now can I please use the restroom?" She asked and gave him pouty eyes.

"Paying customers only. But I will give you a discount." Dropping her head she sighed and handed him her money.

"Fine. Grape shave ice please."

"One extra, extra large shave ice coming right up!" He yelled.

Finally after what seemed like forever she walked to the backroom, to be laughed at by two of her former team members.

"What? It was the only way I could get back here! Pain in the ass wouldn't let me go without buying something. Then he gave me the biggest size he had." She told them with a shake of her head. There was a moment of silence, then the bathroom door opened revealing the most wanted man in Hawaii.

"Steve!"


	7. Chapter 7

Angel smiled and grabbed him in a tight hug but backed away when he hissed in pain.

"Oh! I'm sorry! I forgot you got hurt."

"It's ok. I'll be fine." He assured her. She smiled at him again before punching his arm. He jumped back and gave her a look.

"Are you crazy? Why the hell would you jump out of a moving vehicle? Especially after being stabbed? Do you have a death wish or something?"

"It was my only opportunity to escape!"

"I don't care! We were working on getting you out! Crazy ass. Now if we all get caught, who the hell is going to help us get out?" She exclaimed, putting her hands on her hips and stared him down. They continued their stare down for a moment before he out his hands up to surrender.

"Alright. I'm sorry."

"Yeah you better be." She told him and sat down in a chair. They were then joined by Jenna, who also had a shave ice.

"He got you too huh?" Angel asked when she sat next to her.

"He was very persistent. So I found out something interesting." They all leaned in to listen to what she had to say. "This key was in your father's tool box right? And you said it doesn't go to any piece of furniture in your house?" Steve nodded in response. "That's because it goes to a locker."

"Whatever evidence your father had, will be in that locker." Joe chimed in.

"Well where is this locker at?" Angel asked.

"The airport on Molokai." Jenna answered and handed the key to Steve who was on his feet and headed out the door. Danny stood and raced behind him. Steve made Angel stay back and wait for them. She tried arguing but decided to let it go when he gave her one of his trademark glares. So she sat and talked with Joe and listened to stories of Steve in military school and his training in the Navy. She also told him about her time spent with Steve. To which he figured out very quickly her feelings for him.

Soon enough they made it back and slipped the memory card into the laptop.

"Who's this old guy?" Danny asked when the video started playing.

"That's my father." Steve answered. They watched as his dad set up the camera at a good angle then looked around before leaving.

"Your dad hid a camera in my aunt's study?" Angel asked.

"If he did, it has to still be there." Joe pointed out to everyone.

"Angel, you and Danny go and see if it's still there." Steve ordered from the chair he was sitting in.

"I'll go with you." Chin added and they filed out the door. Steve was left alone to his thoughts which went straight to the young woman who just left. The red hair definitely made her look different. It made her blue eyes shine a lot brighter and really made her more beautiful than before. He smiled at the thought of her caring so much about him. Angel was a very good friend. She stood by him when Danny went to the hospital and believed him when he said he didn't kill the Governor. He was getting good at learning how to read her. His thoughts were interrupted when Joe came back to the room.

"That Kamakona is an entrepreneur. He was telling me about opening his own shrimp truck."

"Kamakona is good people." Steve told him.

"You seem to be surrounded by a lot of good people." Steve smiled in response. "You put together a good team son." Joe noticed the look lurking in Steve's eyes and gave a smile.

"You know. My first wife was 12 years younger than me."

Angel, Danny and Chin hurried out of the car and into the Governors residence. The rushed up the stairs into the study and started looking around.

"Ok, the video was pointing in this direction. So it has to be over here." Angel told the two men. They stood on each side of her and looked toward the wall. Danny's arms were crossed, Angel was biting her nail, and Chin scratched the back of his head.

"Wait. Does that look like a camera?" Chin asked and pointed to a small hole in a clock. Danny picked it up and handed it to Angel.

"Did you bring a hammer?" He asked. Angel and Danny gave him a look.

"Nope. Left it at home with the rest of my tools." Angel said and dropped in on the ground then proceeded to stomp it into pieces. As she bent down to pick up the camera, the new Governor walked in.

"What are you doing here? This is the Governors residence."

"We're very sorry sir. But I am Lieutenant Kelly; this is Detective Williams, and Angel Johnson."

"Wait, Kelly, Williams, and Johnson. You were all part of Five-O. That was disbanded when McGarrett killed the previous Governor." The replacement told them.

"Yes but this could be the evidence that could prove his innocence." Danny told him.

"So hold on. You're telling me that it's acceptable for me to have feelings for a 17 year old?" Steve questioned his former c.o. Joe nodded before explaining.

"Listen to me son. Age is just a number. She seems like a very sweet girl. Sounds a lot better than Catherine if you ask me. I understand with the world the way it is today, it will be difficult but she will be considered an adult soon so there's really nothing to worry about."

Before Steve could answer there were sirens blowing everywhere and someone yelled for him to come out with his hands up.

"Kamakona what's going on?" Steve asked when the big man came in.

"Cops are all over. I'll stand by whatever decision you make."

"What do you want to do son?" Joe asked. Steve gave them a look before nodding and walking past Kamakona with his hands in the air. He took a deep breath and nudged the door open, squinting his eyes against the sun, and walked toward the awaiting cars.

"Steve McGarrett you have the right to remain silent." Duke said to him as he cuffed him. Joe and Kamakona were also being cuffed.

"No they had nothing to do with this. Let them go." He demanded. Detective Chang laughed before pulling Steve up to his feet. Before he reached his car, Danny stopped his Camaro right in front of him. Angel jumped out of the passenger seat and ran to them.

"Let him go. He's innocent!"

"Get out of my way little girl."

"Hey you heard her! Release him!" Chin yelled to him. Before Chang could argue, the new Governor exited his own car and demanded a release.

"Let him go. McGarrett is innocent." Steve let out a sigh of relief and smiled when Angel snatched the keys to his cuffs out of Changs fingers.

"I will take those. Thank you very much."

They watched the video proving Steve's innocence and Five-O was reinstated. Then they went after Wo Fat. Well everyone except Angel. But she put up a very good argument.

"Steve! That is not fair!" She yelled at him while he strapped on his vest.

"I am not letting you get hurt! I refuse to let anyone else I care about get hurt by that son of a bitch. You're either going home or staying at HQ. Those are the only two options you have!" He said and grabbed a very large gun.

"Come on we've been training for like 6 months! I'm ready to help! Especially against him! I can be an asset to the team!"

"You are an asset to the team. When you're alive and healthy! Deal with it!" He replied and started to get into the car but stopped and turned back to her. "And it's only been 3 months. You're not ready to face someone like Wo Fat."

He was gone before she could say anything else. She didn't want to sit at hq so she drove back home to deal with the punishment that was sure to be dealt out. When she finally checked her phone, she had 10 missed calls from her dad, 6 from her mom, and 2 from her older sister. Angel made the slow walk up the drive to her front door and took a deep breath before stepping inside.

"Where the hell have you been?"


	8. Chapter 8

"Ok. So your dad grounded you for helping to prove my innocence?_"_ Steve asked as he sat a bowl of popcorn on the coffee table in his living room and sat on the couch.

"No. He grounded me for sneaking out. Helping you just kind of added to his anger."Angel answered on the other end of the couch.

"Well I'm sorry I kind of got you in trouble." He told her with a sigh. "Yet here you are, sneaking out again."

"What can I say? I just can't get enough Steve McGarrett." She told him with a wink. He smiled at her response and took a swig of his beer.

"So what are you doing here anyway? You realize how much trouble you could get in if your parents find out you snuck out again?"

"I got bored. You're the only person I could think of that wouldn't mind if I hung out for a little while." She said and picked up the remote to find something to watch. "By the way, you have like no good movies here. We are going to have to fix that." Steve laughed and leaned back into the cushions. He looked over to the young woman and smiled. She was completely relaxed as she slouched in the seat and flipped through the channels, as if she didn't have a care in the world. Feeling like she was being watched, she looked to her left, cocked her head to the side and questioned him.

"Something wrong?"

"No. No. Just wondering how relaxed you can be even though you're risking a lot being here." He replied.

"Whats life without a little risk?" She said with a smile before turning back to the t.v. He stared at her for a while, smiling. When he brought his attention back to the t.v., he noticed she had settled on a movie he had never watched before.

"Ok. So this dude is a vampire that doesn't drink human blood and sparkles in the sun?" Steve asked 45 minutes later.

"Yup. This movie pisses me off. Like vampires are supposed to burst into flame in sunlight. Not sparkle and they only met like a week ago and they're already in love? 'Oh hey I know we just met and all but I'm like totally in love with you.' I mean come on! Not to mention Kristen Stewart is a horrible actress. At least Robert Pattison is somewhat cute and is a way better actor than she is." Angel told him. Steve couldn't help but smile as she tossed her hands around and made facial expressions to go with her explanation. He listened as she continued pointing off things that were wrong about the movie and how it differed from the book but he wasn't really paying that close of attention. Steve had noticed that somehow the two of them had gotten closer on the couch and were only inches apart. His legs nearly touched hers and he could feel the heat coming off her body. The thought of her being so close was making a warmth spread through his body, but didn't move away.

Soon after her fiery explanation, Steve looked over to see her asleep, with her head resting on his arm and her legs curled up on the couch. He didn't move for a while, just put his head on hers and closed his eyes. When he woke it was dark and she was gone. As he sat up and rubbed his eyes, he noticed a note was sitting on the coffee table.

_Steve,_

_I woke up at about 2:30 and decided I probably should head back home. Just in case daddy tries to be sneaky and check on me in the middle of the night. Thanks for letting me hang out._

_See you at the office ;)_

_Angel_

_P.S._

_Sorry for falling asleep on you. I swear I didn't do it on purpose. (Maybe)_

He smiled as he walked up the stairs to his room. That became their routine. Even after her grounding had been lifted, every night she would sneak out and come to his house. They would talk and laugh and eventually fall asleep on the couch together, with him always waking to find her gone and a note on the table. She talked him through his problems with Catherine(as much as she hated to) and he would talk her through some of her homework or troubles at school. This continued for two weeks, until things changed.

"Damn it Steve!" Angel yelled at him and punched the steering wheel before getting out of her jeep and stepping into a mud hole. She walked to where he was standing after his final attempt to try and push the Wrangler out of the mud.

"Hey, I'm not the one who got us stuck!" He yelled back and wiped his hands on his pants.

"No you're just the guy who, ONCE AGAIN, jumped out of a speeding vehicle! After telling me to take a short cut, through the muddiest, shittiest trail IN Hawaii! She said before starting to mimic him and walked a few feet away. "_Oh hey go that way! Its way quicker and we will catch the guy faster!_"

"I didn't hear you coming up with any ideas on how to catch the suspect! Oh by the way, WE DID CATCH HIM!" He pointed to the man cuffed to a tree nearby before getting out his phone to call for a tow truck. She ignored him and continued to mock him.

"_I'm Steve McGarrett. I'm a know it all. I was in the Navy, I'm Super Seal! Anything you can do, I can do ten times crazier…" _She was interrupted by feeling something hit her chest. Looking down, her once green shirt, was now covered in mud. "Did you really just throw mud at me?" When he didn't answer, she picked up her own pile of mud and chucked it in his direction, proceeding to nail him in the stomach. This started an all out war. After dodging a mud ball, she ran after him and tackled him into a puddle. They struggled for a bit before he stood with her wrapped around his shoulders. So he flipped her over him and threw her in the puddle he had just stood from. He stumbled back a few feet and caught his breath. She too, stood and looked his way.

After just looking at her for a moment, he started her way again. But instead of attacking with mud, he attacked with his mouth. Their lips slammed together and his hands reached up to tangle in her hair. Her hands clutched at the sides of his vest and tried to pull him closer. Soon his arms made their way down to wrap around her waist and hoisted her in the air with her arms coming to rest around his neck. They continued their charade until both were left more breathless than their previous mud 'fight.' Steve dropped her to her feet and stepped back. Eyes wide and chests heaving, neither could believe what had happened.

"I'm sorry." He said quickly. Before she could reply, they heard the rumbling of the tow truck coming up the path. Steve helped the man hook up the cables and Angel watched as her car was pulled from the mud hole.

"So much for Wranglers being made for mudding." Angel said more to herself than anyone. They drove the suspect to the police station to be booked then headed to HQ. The ride back was quiet and somewhat awkward as neither Angel nor Steve knew what to say. All that ran through Angels mind was the quick 'Im sorry' that came after their heated moment. She surely wasn't sorry. Angel had wanted to kiss the man for far too long and then it finally happened but he regretted it. The walk up the stairs to their offices was quick and quiet. Rushing through the doors Steve all but ran to his office. Angel wasn't as fast and received confused and humored looks from her coworkers.

"I don't want to talk about it." She told them before turning and heading to her office. They avoided each other for days. She stopped going to his house and the only conversations they had were business related. Until Angel finally had enough.

"Ok. I've had it." She told him she stormed through the door he had barely opened.

"Please. Come in." He said and closed the door.

"We have got to talk!"

"We have nothing to talk about." He answered, nonchalantly.

"You kissed me." She said quietly.

"And I said I was sorry."

"Steve."

"Angel it shouldn't have happened. Your 17. I'm 28." He lied.

"So what! Age shouldn't matter!"

"But it does!"

"Yeah to you! I care about you Steve." She revealed. "A lot."

"Angel."

"Look I know I'm young and Im only 17 but I know how I feel and I know you care about me too."

"I do but not in the way you think."

"Bullshit. You wouldn't have kissed me if you didn't."

"It was the heat of the moment."

"I call bullshit. Again."

"Fine. Yes I care about you." He yelled throwing his hands in the air. "More than I should. But we cant do anything about it."

"Why not?"

"Beacuase your still only 17. And I'm…" He stopped. Unsure of what to say next.

"Youre too responsible if you ask me." She muttered.

"What?"

"Nothing. Look I only have a month until I'm 18. Theres no other reason for us not to try it out." Angel said calmly.

"Angel. We cant." He sighed. "You have no idea how much I would love to try but we, we just cant."

She looked to the floor and nodded.

"No. You're right." She replied and looked back to him, one small tear sliding down her cheek. "It would be stupid to try. So I'm just going to go. I'll see you tomorrow." She finished and walked to the door.

"Angel. Don't cry. Please."

"Bye Steve."

"Angel." The door closed on his words and she left.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: I would like to send a MAJOR Thank You to everyone who has reviewed and favorite this story! You guys are all an inspiration and I love all of the feedback I have received. There was a few times when I wasn't sure if I would continue in the direction I was going but when I read the reviews you had left, I knew I was going the right way! So again, Thank you all so much! This chapter was a little difficult for me two write as I didn't know which way to proceed with Steve and Angel after their kiss but I think it will fit in perfectly with how I plan the rest of it to go. Thank you and keep the reviews coming!

A week after their 'talk', Angel sat in the lobby of Governor Dennings office waiting to be seen. She had received a call while in school to come and have a meeting with him. So she sat, waiting. Alone. until someone sat across from her. He wore a jacket, button up shirt, and a very nice pair of dark wash jeans. His hair was gelled and styled perfectly and his eyes were slightly drooped.

"You have a meeting with him too?"

"Yup."

Angel looked to the floor and Steve gave her a saddened look.

"I miss you sneaking over. Now I have nothing to do but go to bed on time." He said with a small laugh. "We need to talk this through Angel. You didn't understand what I was trying to say."

"No. I understood perfectly." She told him firmly. "You made your point. There's no reason for me to spend any time with you outside of work. All it will do is make me care for you more and neither of us need that."

Before Steve could respond a woman sat next to Angel and gave Steve a flirty smile. He didn't respond and leaned back into the chair. It wasn't long before the receptionist escorted them into the Governors office. Where he proceeded to make changes to Five-O.

"It has been brought to my attention that you are failing two of your classes."

"Not really failing. I'm just, falling behind." She lightly argued.

"Well if you don't catch up soon, your services to Five-O will be terminated. You signed an agreement specifically stating your grades would remain above satisfactory. If they didn't meet the standards, then you would be suspended. Instead of suspension, you will be terminated. But until your grades reach the satisfactory mark, you will stay out of the field and remain in the office. Paperwork and homework is all you will be doing."

Angel nodded in response and Steve took the opportunity to speak up.

"She is an amazing asset to the team, I will personally make sure that doesn't happen."

"Good. Now that isn't the only reason I brought you here. Agent Lori Weston here, will be joining the team as a liaison."

"We don't have room for anyone else right now." Steve argued.

"With all do respect, I really don't want to be babysitting." Lori agreed.

"Babysitting?" Angel and Steve questioned together. The Governor smirked and shook his head.

"No, you will not be babysitting and no, you do not have a choice in the matter. Ms. Johnson, clear out your desk. You will no longer be needing it." There was a brief moment of silence before Steves phone started ringing. HE answered and spoke quickly.

"Are we finished here? I have a kidnapping that needs my attention."

"Please be on your way. Ms. Johnson, remember what I said. Your schools guidance counselor will be sending me weekly reports." Angel nodded as she rose from her chair and walked briskly past Steve. He rushed after her and lightly grabbed her arm.

"Hey. Why didn't you tell me you were failing? What classes are they?"

"Geometry and Chemistry. I didn't think it was important to you." She shrugged and tried turning away from him but he kept a firm grip on her arm.

"Of course its important. I don't want you to leave the team. I like having you around."

"You have a great way of showing it." Angel told him before ripping her arm out of his hand and walking away. Steve noticed how she had worn a pair of black dress pants that fit her behind perfectly and the way her hips swayed when she walked.

"Hey don't we have a case?" Lori asked, interrupting him.

"Yeah lets go."

A few hours later, Steve walked into hq, tired and stressed. The teen that had been kidnapped had a heart condition and didn't have her medication, which made Steve very worried. It made the case more difficult than it already was. He started toward his office but stopped when he noticed the young woman sitting at the table in the corner. Angel sat chewing on the end of a pencil, headphones in her ears, and one hand twirling a strand of hair around her index finger while she stared at the papers laid out in front of her. He instantly knew she was frustrated. The only time she played with her hair is when she couldn't figure something out. So he watched her for a moment before her eyes popped up.

Angel had felt eyes on her and knew Steve was watching her. She looked up to see him standing very casual like with his arms crossed over his chest and leaning on the door to his office. They shared a look while she removed the headphones and paused the music playing from her phone.

"Can I help you with something?"

"No. But it looks like you could use some help." Steve answered with a smile.

"Is it that obvious?" She snorted and looked down again.

"You were playing with your hair. So yeah it kind of was." He said and walked to where she was sitting. He leaned down and scanned over the papers she was working on. "Geometry?"

"Its never been my best class." She sighed. "Plus it was easier when I had help every day."

They shared another look until Steve started explaining what she did wrong. She tried paying attention but his close proximity was making it difficult. His rejection was still fresh on her mind. Despite the rejection, he was still gorgeous and still tried to be her friend. Which made it worse.

"Are you even listening?"

"What?" She said and jumped a little.

"I thought so." He said and shook his head. "Listen when we finish the case you can come over and I'll help you through it."

"Steve."

"I'll be your tutor."

"Is this a game to you or something?" She questioned.

"What are you talking about?"

"You tell me you care about me, then tell me we cant be together, now you want me to come over so you can 'tutor' me?" She said and made bunny ears with her hands to emphasize the word tutor.

"No. Its not a game. You need help and I'm offering it."

"Yeah at your house." She said. "Alone."

"Angel."

"Steve I don't think I can handle it. I can barely handle you being this close as it is."

They were interrupted by the rest of the team coming in, chattering about the case.

"Just come over ok."

"Whatever." Angel sighed.

They found the girl and she got her medicine in time before anything serious happened to her. Danny told Angel about Steve's once again courageous rescue. This time it was on horseback. She couldn't help but laugh at the way Danny imitated Steve riding a horse and laughed even harder when Steve imitated Dannys riding skills. Lori then walked in and interrupted their laughter by sauntering right up to Steve.

"What are your plans tonight Steve?"

"I'm going to go home and make some food on the grill." He shrugged. Then gave Angel a look. "Then I have some tutoring to do."

Angel rolled her eyes and walked out of the office. He knew grill food was her favorite and was trying to butter her up into going to his house. She did need the help but didn't want the awkwardness that was between them. But later that night, there she was. Knocking on his front door. When the door opened, her mouth went dry and her heart quickly sped up. There he was wearing only a towel to cover his lower half and water dripping down his sculpted chest.

"I knew you would show up." He said with a smile. When she didn't respond he snapped his fingers in front of her face and smirked when her eyes moved away from his chest to look to his face.

"What? Oh. Yeah. I'm only here for the food." She answered and walked past him into his house to set her bag on the couch. "And because I really don't want to have to leave Five-O. I'll miss Danno too much."

"I'll be right back. Food is almost ready." Steve told her and rushed up the stairs. When he was out of sight, she let out a huge sigh and rubbed her hands over her face.

"Why am I here? This is such a bad idea. I'm only hurting myself. I should just go." She said to herself and started for the door but stopped when he came back down the stairs.

"Leaving already?"

"This isn't a good idea Steve."

"Why not?"

"All this is going to do is complicate things." She said and threw her hands in the air. "We don't need to complicate things."

"Things already are complicated. They cant get any more complicated then what they are now." He told her with a shrug.

"You never should have kissed me."

"What?" He demanded and frowned.

"Then I never should have told you how I felt. I wish we could go back to how things were before." She continued, ignoring him and paced the living room. "My crush would have stayed a secret, you wouldn't have felt so guilty and we wouldn't be so weird around each other!"

"Hey. Now hold on." He argued and grabbed her shoulders to stop her from pacing. "I don't feel guilty about kissing you."

"Yeah ok."

"No Im serious. I feel guilty for lying to you." He admitted and she looked at him confused.

"Lying to me? About what?"

"About age having a difference, about us not being able to be together because of it. This last week has really got me thinking." He told her softly.

"You said you didn't want to be with me though Steve."

"No. I said _we cant_ be together. I said I wanted to be with you but we couldn't. But now I don't care."

"What?"

"I realized how much I want to be with you and how much I don't care that your ten years younger than me. Your such an amazing young woman and I don't want to give some asshole teenager the chance to be with you when _I _want to be the one with you."

"Steve." She choked out as tears started building in her eyes. He wiped a stray tear that had fallen down her cheek with his thumb and then cupped her face.

"I'm falling in love with you Angel." He finished and leaned down to place his lips on hers.

That's when she woke up.


	10. Chapter 10

A small tear made its way down her face when she rose from her lying position on her bed. The dream was very realistic and had repeated itself every night since the kiss. They had indeed worked out the problem but it still hurt to see him every day and know that they will never be together. She still didn't sneak out to see him but he was helping her catch up on her classes so she didn't have to leave Five-O.

Angel picked up her phone and saw the time was 10 in the morning. It was Friday but it was also her birthday and her parents let her stay home today. There were 2 text messages and 3 voicemails. The texts were from her sister and her cousin and two of the three voicemails were from her aunt and grandparents, which made her smile. But the last message broke her down.

"_Hey there Angel wings. It's your big bro. I don't have long so this will be quick. I hope you have the best birthday ever. I'm sorry I can't be there for the big one-eight but you know I'm there in spirit. I got your care package the other day and finally read all of the letters you sent in it. I'm proud of you for doing the internship and sticking with it. Sounds like that McGarrett is quite a character. But it sounds like he cares about you a lot. Now don't get into any trouble today or I will have to kick your little ass when I get home. Hopefully that will be soon. But I have to get going. My turn to do patrol. I love you little sis."_

She put her head in her hands and cried. She missed her brother, the two were always very close and she hated him being gone all the time. But she knew he was only doing it to keep the country safe and she was incredibly grateful. After calming down, she showered and dressed before going to the kitchen where she was greeted with...silence. The kitchen was empty, save her father who was sitting at the table drinking coffee and reading the newspaper.

"Morning daddy." She said and kissed his cheek. "Where's mom?"

"She went with Laura to do some wedding stuff and won't be back until later this afternoon." He responded, not looking up from the paper.

"Oh." She nodded and grabbed a bowl and poured herself some cereal for breakfast. When she sat next to her dad, he slid an envelope over to her slowly, again without looking away from the paper. She cocked an eyebrow and opened it to reveal a birthday card. Shaking her head and smiling, she gasped when a gift certificate and 5 $100 bills fell out onto the counter.

"A gift certificate for a mani and pedi." She nodded to her dad. "Daddy I think you got me and Laura mixed up again."

"No I didn't. It was your mother's idea. I'm just the delivery guy." He said with a laugh. "Besides it's your birthday. Pamper yourself. Go buy some new clothes. Enjoy yourself today."

"Thank you."

So she did just that. Pampered herself. She lightly curled her hair before sprinting out the door and headed to the nail salon. It was hours before she returned home. At first it looked empty. There wasn't a car in the driveway or garage and all of the lights were off.

"Hello? Anyone home?" She yelled before flicking on the light switch. When there was no response, she shrugged and hauled her bags to her room. Her phone rang during the trek up the stairs and dropped 3 bags trying to answer it.

"Johnson."

"_Angel. Hey we need you down at HQ."_

"Um. Ok. Is everything ok Danno?"

"_No. High profile case and we need your help. Try to make it quick ok?"_

"Yeah. I'll be there soon." She said with a sigh. After finally getting her new clothing to her room, she grabbed a pair of jeans, low cut blouse and her favorite thing she bought that day. Black, knee high, leather riding boots. Since her training with Steve had caused her to tone her body, she had a whole new selection of clothing she was able to wear, to which she would use to her advantage. The blouse was low enough to show she had a chest but not enough to make her look like a slut. Steve wouldn't know what hit him.

Angel walked up the stairs to HQ nervously. Her self-conscious side starting to come through, silently wishing she would have worn a different shirt. But it was too late now. She reached the doors to a dark set of offices. Furrowing her brows in confusion, she slowly opened the door.

"Hello?" She yelled. "Steve? Danno?"

"SURPRISE!" She jumped back and clutched her chest in shock when a crowd of people appeared from hiding. Angel was greeted with a chorus of happy birthdays and was smothered in hugs.

"Happy birthday sweetheart." Her mother said and gave her a large squeeze. The room was decorated with streamers and balloons and a cake sat on the table where she did her homework.

"You guys are amazing." Angel said, slightly choking up. A few of her friends from the softball team were there along with everyone from her family (minus one) and Five-O. But the one person she was most anxious to see wasn't there. And the one person she was least anxious to see, was. Lori stood by Danny and Chin, looking very unhappy.

"Danno where's Steve?" She asked, walking up to Danny and Chin.

"He said he had some things to take care of at home. But he did ask me to give you this." He answered and handed her an envelope. She cocked an eyebrow and opened it quickly. Happy birthday was written in large, bright colors on the front but the inside was blank except a few words.

"_You're finally 18. I suppose we should celebrate._

_Steve"_

Her heart started beating rapidly as she thought of the possible meaning to his words.

"He probably just wanted to avoid coming to a lame birthday party." Lori said rudely.

"Then why are you here? I sure as hell wouldn't have invited you if I knew this was going on." Angel told her, just as rude.

"I thought Steve was going to be here." Lori replied.

"And why would he want to see you outside of work? Trust me sweetheart. He isn't interested." Angel said and walked away before she could respond. As she was walking away, Grace and a woman came to them.

"Happy birthday Aunt Angel!" Grace said enthusiastically and threw her arms around her waist.

"Thanks munchkin!"

"Did you like my present?"

"I haven't opened it yet! But I know I will." Angel said lovingly to the child.

"Gabby helped me make it." Grace nodded to the woman standing next to her.

"Hi. We haven't met yet but I'm Gabby." The woman said and held her hand out for a shake.

"Angel. Pleasure to meet you."

"She's Danno's girlfriend." Grace said nonchalantly. Gabby's face flared in a blush and Danny gave a nervous laugh.

"Aww. Congratulations. It's about time Danno here found someone. He was kind of scaring me there for a while." Angel told them with a smile.

"Lets go open your presents!" Grace demanded before Danny could say anything in response. She grabbed Angels hand and pulled her toward a small table.

"Open mine first!" Kono yelled.

Angel laughed and tugged at the bright colored paper covering the box. She pulled the flaps open to reveal the new Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean cds both with matching t-shirts.

"Awesome! I almost bought them today. Thanks K!" Angel said and gave her friend a hug. She received gift cards and clothes and Grace bounced up and down excitedly when Angel got to her last gift. Angel lightly shook the box and smiled when she heard a light jingle.

"Well this must be from Miss Gracie." She said and started tearing apart the paper. When she lifted the flaps of the box her heart fluttered. Inside was two picture frames. Both were beautifully decorated with sea shells and glitter and held pictures Angel had forgotten had been taken. The first was of Angel, Grace, and Steve at the Pearl Harbor museum standing in front of one of the memorials. The second was of Angel and Steve at the beach. They sat next to each other on a towel, laughing. She remembered the day well. It was the day Kono had been reinstated to Five-O. Steve had invited everyone over for a cook out to celebrate and Grace had taken pictures of everyone for her scrapbook.

"Oh sweetie. They are perfect. Thank you." Angel said and knelt to give the girl a hug.

"I knew you would love them. Uncle Steve helped me pick the pictures out. Then Gabby helped me decorate them." Grace told her smiled proudly.

"Well I will have to thank Uncle Steve for picking out such great pictures then wont I."

After having cake, everyone started leaving. Angel received final happy birthdays and hugs while she gathered her gifts. Her sister helped her load her things into the car before Angel pulled her off to the side.

"Hey can I ask you for a favor?"

"Sure. What's up?" Laura asked.

'Can you cover for me? I'll tell mom and dad that I'm staying at your place and I will but I need to go somewhere first but I don't want them to know."

"Going to see Steve?" Her sister smirked.

"Laura."

"Yes. I will. Go see your man." Laura answered and lightly pushed her toward her car.

Angels heart was beating faster the closer she got to Steve's. By the time she reached his house, it was almost as if she had been running a marathon. She took her time walking up the path to his front door. The lights were all out but the door was open and a soft glow was coming from the living room.

"Steve?" She called out when she entered. She slowly followed the trail of candles through the living room into the dining room and out the sliding glass door. Angel walked across the lanai, seeing Steve standing by the shoreline.

"Steve?" She yelled to him. The moon hung full and bright in the sky. When he turned to face her, she could see the smile grow across his features. She walked out to him and stopped a few feet away.

"You know, I never really come out here at night. It really is just as beautiful as it is during the day." He said with a smile. She didn't know what to say, so she blurted out the first thing that popped in her head.

"You know it's a fire hazard to leave all of those candles out like that right?" He laughed and she quickly recovered. "Oh my gosh. I'm sorry. I turn into such a dork when I'm nervous."

"Why are you nervous?"

"Because I don't know what's going on." She replied quietly and looked to the sand. He closed the distance between them and softly lifted her chin with his thumb.

"I was wrong Angel. I was completely wrong. We _need _to be together. Age really doesn't matter. Your 18 now anyways. All that's left to do is try."

She didn't know what to say, so she didn't say anything. But a tear made its way slowly down her cheek. She closed her eyes and willed herself to wake up so she didn't have to live this dream anymore, but she never did. This was real. Steve was really standing in front of her, telling her they should be together.

"You said you didn't want to though."

"No. I said we _couldn't_ be together. You have no idea how much I've thought about it over the last few weeks." He said and brushed the tear away with his thumb. "I broke up with Catherine."

"When?" She gasped.

"After I kissed you." He nodded. "I knew I couldn't be with her after all I felt when I kissed you."

"Oh."

"I haven't stopped thinking about it since then." He softly brushed his thumb over her lips. "I've wanted to do it every second of every day since then."

"So what's stopping you now?"

"Nothing."

Finally his lips descended on hers.


	11. Chapter 11

Their second kiss was just as passionate as the first. Angel clutched at his biceps while one of his hands covered her cheek and the other caressed the small of her back. She let out a sigh of happiness when they broke apart moments later.

"Best birthday present ever." She said happily when she caught her breath. Steve laughed before leaning in again.

"I have to ask. What made you change your mind?" Angel asked when they finally decided to make their way inside.

"I heard a song on the radio about desire and flames and getting up and trying."

Angel laughed at his response and wrapped her arms around his mid-section.

"Well. I will have to write Pink a thank you letter then." She said. He smiled and reached down to place his lips on hers once more.

"I think I could get used to this." He told her after pulling his head back. They finally made it to the couch and settled down to watch a movie. Steve wrapped his arm around her and she laid her head on his shoulder. That was when he noticed her shirt. He felt arousal shoot through his body when he noticed the low front.

"New shirt?" He asked, his mouth going dry.

"Hm?" She said and looked down. "Oh. Yeah I bought it today. Do you like it?"

"It's um. Very fitting." He said with a cough. He noticed a smirk quickly make its way across her lips and a blush start to creep up her neck to her cheeks.

"I should probably go." She told him after the movie ended. He looked to the clock and noticed it was nearing midnight.

"What no more late nighters Cinderella?" He said sarcastically.

"Ha-ha." She replied with a smile. "No. I'm staying at my sisters and I don't want her getting worried."

"Alright. I'll walk you out."

They slowly made their way to Angels awaiting vehicle and Steve jumped in front of her to open the door.

"Milady." He said and held his hand out to help her in. She giggled at his action before placing her hand in his and jumping into the jeep.

"Thank you sir." She told him. He closed the door and leaned against it. He was tall enough that he didn't have to stretch to give her a final kiss.

"See you tomorrow?" Angel asked him shyly.

"Absolutely."

They indeed did see each other the next day. And every day and night since. Everyone on the team knew of their relationship. Except Lori, no one felt it was necessary for her to know. Two weeks after they had started seeing each other, a man had been taped to a chair, murdered, and then thrown into his pool.

"What a way to die." Angel said while she typed information into the computer. Steve stood behind her and nodded in response. "By the way, when do I get to go in the field again?"

"When the Governor gives the order."

"And that will be when exactly?" She asked and spun in his chair to face him. Angel had taken up working in his office instead of using the table in the middle of HQ.

"Whenever he wants." He answered. She scoffed at his answer and gave a look of anger.

"That is ridiculous! I get bored sitting around here. He needs to just let me go." She said and spun back around to the laptop. Steve smiled and bent forward, placing one hand on the back of the chair and the other on the desk before placing his lips close to her ear.

"You're cute when you get angry." He watched as she shivered and goose bumps made their way across her skin.

"Well then wait until I'm really pissed off." She told him and slightly turned her head toward him. He spun her chair to face him and smirked at the young woman.

"That sounds like something I would like to see." He flirted and she giggled before lightly pushing him away.

"Come on. I have information on the break-ins." Angel said and walked out of the office. After finding out it was the victims brother in law that killed him, Angel found out that Steve had volunteered to take someone's place in a charity MMA fight.

"I broke the guys arm. It was the least I could do." Steve told her when he stripped his shirt off and started warming up. Angel felt a blush starting to creep up her body and her knees turned to mush when she saw his ripped torso (which happened every time he removed his shirt). So she distracted herself and told him to sit down so she could fix his tape.

"You know how to tape someone's hands?" He asked, shocked. She nodded and smiled.

"My brother does this for fun. He and some of his buddies would get together and have fights in our backyard when my parents would go out of town. Being little sister, I would get volunteered to be the first aid girl." She told him while she placed tape on his knuckles. "He taught me a few moves and showed me how to prep someone."

"That's kind of hot." He said and wiggled his eyebrows at her. She giggled and shook her head.

"Well you won't be so hot if your nose gets broken so be careful." She answered and lightly flicked his nose.

"McGarrett, you're on!" Someone yelled from outside. They shared a look before standing and walking to the door.

"Do I get a good luck kiss?"

Angel stood to her tips of her toes to wrap her arms around his neck.

"Of course."

They kissed for a moment until the door opened and bumped into them. Danny poked his head around with his eyes closed.

"Is he decent?"

"You have great timing Danno." Steve answered before stealing another kiss from Angel. They walked Steve to the curtain and waited.

"You still have time to back out."

Danny's remark was ignored as the curtains were drawn and Steve started toward the cage.

"Did you try talking him out of it?" Danny yelled to Angel during the short walk. She shook her head and Danny rolled his eyes. "Well it was nice knowing you buddy." Danny said to Steve when they reached the cage and he noticed who he was fighting.

"Mouth guard." Steve said, once again ignoring his partner. Danny popped it in his mouth and squirted water in after before Steve turned to Angel. She placed a quick kiss on his cheek and watched him enter the cage. They watched and cheered as Steve put up a good fight. Angel covered her eyes when Steve was thrown into the cage and dropped to the mat.

"Don't get up! Throw in the towel!" Danny yelled to him and Angel peeked through her fingers at her boyfriend. Steve smirked at her before standing to fight once more. She cheered and yelled for him when he jumped off the cage and punched Liddell in the face but cringed when he was thrown off once again. He ended up losing the fight, but wasn't mad as it was for charity. Angel stood in the locker room laughing with the team after until Steve's phone rang. He gave her a look when he read the text. So she helped him gather his things and rode with him to see Joe.

"Did he say what it was about?" She asked as she sat in the passenger seat.

"No just that he needed to see me." He answered. She nodded and started flipping through the radio stations.

"Yes! I love this song!" Angel said and turned the volume up on Barefoot Blue Jean Night by Jake Owen. Steve smiled and watched her sing and dance in the seat next to him. She sang along and knew the words perfectly. The drive to meet Joe was short and Steve made her sit in the truck when they arrived. Angel couldn't help but notice Joe had a black eye. It wasn't long before Steve got back in the truck and they were speeding out of there.

"Everything ok?" Angel asked. He gave her a look before shaking his head.

"Wo Fat killed Mokoto."

Her eyes widened in shock and didn't say anything else on the ride back to his house. He was distant for a few days. She knew it was because of Wo Fat so she stayed away from that topic as much as possible and found it difficult to be around him when he was grouchy. But she still spent as much time with him as possible. It was Halloween when he finally was himself again. Until they had gotten a case.

"Hey Kono. What do we got?" Steve asked. He listened as Kono explained what a group of kids had found.

"Ok. So where are these kids?" Danny questioned. Kono gave them a strange look before pointing over her shoulder to where Duke was standing with four teenagers. Steve and Danny made their way over to them and laughed when they saw four female superheroes being questioned.

"Well look at this." Danny laughed. "We have Batgirl, Wonder woman, Spiderwoman, and Cat woman. You girls fans of superheroes?"

"Obviously." Batgirl told him with sass.

"Want to remove the masks?" Steve asked the four. They each shook their heads rapidly to say no.

"Superheroes never take off their masks in front of civilians." Batgirl answered him. Danny laughed again and Steve couldn't help but smirk.

"Yeah Batgirl here has been the only one to say anything about what they found." Duke said. Steve nodded before taking her away from the group. They stopped a few feet away and he watched as she shifted nervously.

"Alright Batgirl. Why don't you tell me what you found?"

"A couple of dead bodies."

"Obviously." He told her in the same fashion she told him. "Listen this would be a lot easier if you would just cooperate."

"I am cooperating. We found the bodies over there." The girl pointed.

"Did you go past the stone wall?" Steve asked.

"Hell no. This is an ancient Hawaiian burial ground. I don't want to be cursed!"

"So what were you doing up here if you weren't going on the grounds?" Steve questioned.

"It's creepy up here." She confirmed with a shrug of her shoulders. "That's what you do on Halloween. Go to creepy places."

"And look for dead bodies."

"Ok yeah. That was totally on my agenda. '_Hmm. This year for Halloween, I'm going to seek out some fresh dead bodies. That will be totally awesome. So much better than watching scary movies with my boyfriend._' Totally my plan." She told him sarcastically.

"Hey you're the one who told me you wanted to go hang out with your friends." Steve said to her with a slight bit of anger.

"What? How did you know it was me?" Angel asked his in shock.

"It didn't take much for me to figure out. Your bright hair, your eyes, and the fact that your favorite super hero is Batman. Oh not to mention the amount of sass that you give out when you start to get angry." He answered and started to walk away. "This, by the way, is a lot sexier than when you're frustrated. You should wear that outfit more often." He whispered in her ear. Angel shivered when he walked away and returned to her friends. She returned to Steve's the next night, to see him on the couch waiting for her. She had worn her costume again, just for him.

"You know, Batman would have been a lot stealthier and made a cooler entrance than that." He said when she sat next to him.

"Well that is why Bruce Wayne is Batman and Angel Johnson is not." She answered and stuck her tongue out at him. Steve smiled before pressing play on the movie he had paused. Angel rolled her eyes and shook her head when Chucky started playing. But grabbed a pillow to cover her face when a scary part came on. Steve laughed at her when she peeked over the top and then quickly covered herself again.

"Its not that scary."

"I don't do well with scary movies."

"You said you wanted to watch them with your boyfriend." He told her. She sighed and leaned into his shoulder.

"Yeah only to have you protect me! Not laugh at me!" She cowered behind the small pillow. He laughed and wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close.

"Don't worry. I'll save you from any scary bad guy ok?"

"Ok."

She never finished the movie. Angel had fallen asleep against Steve's side, still huddled behind the pillow. He gently shook her to wake her up.

"I don't want to go." She told him sleepily.

"Then you can stay here."

Angel popped one eye open and gave him a look.

"Technically I am staying at my sisters tonight."

"Rock hard alibi." Steve shrugged. "I have some clothes for you to wear."

"Ok. That sounds good." She answered and fell back asleep. Steve shook his head and smiled before picking her up, and carrying her up the stairs to his room.

"I know you're not sleeping." He said when he reached his bedroom door. She rubbed her cheek into his chest and giggled.

"I didn't want to walk. You're so sweet for carrying me." She was then tossed onto the bed. "That was rude."

Laughing, he ignored her and went to his dresser. He pulled out one of his old Navy t-shirts and a pair of sweatpants. She nervously took them from him and went to the bathroom. When she emerged, he couldn't help but stare. The clothing was large on her smaller frame and the pants nearly fell off her behind.

"Thank you." She told him nervously. He pulled back the covers of the bed and she slid in next to him. They lay awkwardly for a while until Steve wrapped his arms around her and pulled her next to him. It didn't take long for the two to fall into a peaceful slumber.


	12. Chapter 12

By the time Christmas rolled around, Angel had a drawer of clothes and taken over half of the bathroom at Steve's. Now here he stood, smiling, as he watched Angel and Grace decorate the large Christmas tree that Angel demanded he get. He had also been forced into buying plenty of decorations that were half spread across his home. Danny was attempting to wrap a few of the presents he had gotten for Grace upstairs and from the sounds of it; he wasn't having a good time. A few moments later, Angel and Grace stepped back and admired their work.

"Uncle Steve will you help me put the angel on top of the tree?" Grace asked him politely.

"Gracie sweetie, we can't put Angel up there. She won't fit!" He answered sarcastically. Angel scoffed and lightly punched his arm.

"Steve!" She laughed.

"I was kidding! Yes I will help you put it up there."

"Wait let me get my camera!" Angel exclaimed and ran upstairs to the bedroom. They heard Danny yell at her for barging in and tell her not to look at what he bought. She yelled back at him before running back down the stairs. She snapped a few pictures of Steve holding Grace in the air and of Grace carefully placing the angel on the very top.

"Did I buy that angel?" Steve asked when he put her down. Angel shook her head and pointed to a box on the couch.

"No. I found it in that box in the basement when I was looking for Christmas stuff."

"I thought it looked familiar." He whispered then gave her a thoughtful look. "I haven't seen that angel on a tree since before my mom died." She picked up the box and held it out to him. Taking it from her, he noticed a few more items he hadn't seen since his early teenage years. A few pictures of him and Mary with the Hawaiian version of Santa, some ornaments made from school, and the last family Christmas photo the McGarretts had taken. He stood proudly next to his father, while his mother and Mary sat in front of them. Each had a matching red Christmas sweater and large smiles plastered on.

"Steve?" Angel asked, concerned. He handed her the box back quickly.

"Put those pictures up for me will you?" He asked then made a quick dash outside. Danny had come down the stairs to see him run out and gave her an odd look.

"What's wrong with him?" He questioned and placed the wrapped presents under the tree. Angel handed him the McGarrett family picture and he sighed in response.

"He told me after his mom died, his dad wasn't much of the Christmas kind of guy. He hasn't had a real Christmas in years." Danny told her. She felt a wave of sadness hit her like a train and she struggled to keep herself from crying. So she followed the path he had gone and found him standing by the shoreline. Angel walked behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. She rested her head on his back and felt him squeeze her hand before he pulled her around the front of him.

"I didn't mean to upset you."

"I'm not upset. I just haven't seen that picture in a long time. It um it was the last Christmas picture we had taken as a family."

"I'm sorry." She admitted.

"Dad would get kind of upset whenever Mary tried to decorate the house. Christmas was mom's favorite time of year." He told her and pulled her closer to his chest. They stood in that position for a while until an idea popped into her head. Then plans started forming and before she knew it, she had a full blown operation on her hands. Christmas was still two weeks away so it gave her plenty of time to be ready. So while Steve and Danny argued about how to hang lights around the outside of the house, she put the first part of her plan in motion.

"Alright I have to use the restroom. So Grace, you're in charge." Angel told them before speeding into the house. Steve had left his phone on the kitchen counter so she quickly searched for the number she needed before rushing up the stairs. She patiently sat on the bed while she waited for an answer. Soon enough, a woman's voice came across the other end.

"_Hello?"_

"Hi. Is this Mary?"

Three days later, Angel and Danny stood at the airport baggage claim, waiting for Mary. Soon enough a short blond woman came strutting over carrying two large bags.

"Hey Danny." She said to the man next to her before turning to Angel. "You must be Angel. Steve has told me a lot about you."

"Hi. Steve's told me a lot about you too." Angel replied and shook her hand. They continued chatting as they walked out of the airport to Danny's car. The two had clicked very easily and laughed about stories Mary was telling her about Steve's younger days. When they arrived at HQ, Steve was in his office doing paperwork. Lori was hovering over his shoulder and Angel grimaced at the woman. Mary looked at Lori then over to Angel.

"Does she know about you two?"

"No. She'll find out real quick if she doesn't start backing off." Angel told her confidently and entered the room.

"Hey Steve." His eyes lit up when she entered the office and he stood from his chair.

"Hey. Where have you been?"

"I was getting you an early Christmas present." She answered and turned to motion to Mary to enter.

"What's up bro?"

"Mary?" The siblings embraced in a long hug and laughed when Mary said it was about time they had gotten together for something other than a funeral.

"When did you get here?"

"Just a little while ago. Angel called me and invited us to spend Christmas with her family. Since I didn't have anything else to do, I didn't turn her down. So here I am."

"That's awesome. I didn't think I would get to see you this year." Steve admitted and gave Angel a large smile.

"So Mary and I are going shopping tomorrow and we are having dinner Christmas Eve so I need to know what you guys want to eat. But you can let me know anytime. I do have to get going though, wedding crap with my sister. I'll be glad when that's over. So I'll see you later?" She looked to Steve when she finished and stepped forward to give him a hug. He returned the hug lovingly and Angel couldn't help but smirk at the look on Loris face. You could practically see smoke coming from her ears.

Angel returned to Steve's that night and was greeted with an enormous hug and even larger kiss. To which she gratefully accepted.

"You're amazing." Steve told her. There was a light in his eyes that Angel had never seen before. He was truly happy to have his sister with him again.

"It's only right for families to be together on Christmas. I just thought it would be nice for you to have Mary here for a few days."

"Thank you."

"You are very welcome." He started placing gentle kisses on her lips but soon it turned to a hot and heavy sloppy make-out session which they broke apart from quickly when Mary came into the room.

"Wow. This place looks amazing. I haven't seen this house have anything Christmas up in such a long time!" Mary told them and gave Steve a serious look. "You better not do anything stupid to lose her. She is definitely a keeper!" Steve gave Angel a loving look before agreeing with his sister.

"Trust me. I won't."

The next afternoon, Angel and Mary were walking around the mall deciding what to get Steve for Christmas.

"Well I don't think he would want much else from you after bringing me here." Mary told her as they walked. "Maybe a gift card to the gun shop or something." Angel laughed at her remark, loud and hard.

"That is exactly what Danny got him!"

"Oh my gosh no way!" The two laughed for a long time about the gift that was sure to make Steve laugh as well. They continued their search for gifts until both of their stomachs made loud growls of hunger.

"Let's get some pizza or something." Mary said and rubbed her belly. "We can come back after we eat."

Angel nodded in agreement and the quickly made their way out of the mall to the nearest pizza place. Mary told Angel more stories of Steve's adventurous childhood and Angel almost made soda come out of her nose from laughing so hard. Then it all went down hill.

Two men came running into the restaurant, one screaming for his son. Angel assumed the woman that stood up to him was his ex-wife. Before long, their argument turned physical and the screaming man pulled out a gun. His partner did the same and yelled to everyone in the restaurant.

"I WANT EVERYONE ON THE GROUND NOW!"

Angel and Mary slid under the table they were sitting at and huddled close together.

"I think I can disarm him if he comes this way." Angel told her.

"No way! Angel that's crazy! You could get shot!" Mary argued. They watched as one of the men blocked the main door and the other blocked the back entrance. It didn't take long for the sounds of sirens to close in on the pizza place and Angel recognized Steve's voice on the other end of the megaphone.

"Let the hostages go and come out with your hands up." Soon the phone rang and the man who had yelled for his son answered.

"Who am I talking to?...Lieutenant Commander McGarrett…Well Lieutenant Commander McGarrett I am not leaving without my son…I will not let the hostages go either…No negotiations." The man yelled into the phone and slammed it down on its base.

Outside Steve rubbed his hands over his face in frustration.

"Do we have access to the security cameras inside yet?" He yelled to Chin. Chin nodded but then gave a closer look to the screen. Looking over to the parking lot, he noticed a vehicle sitting close to the entrance. Steve hadn't noticed yet but he definitely had to know.

"Steve. We have a problem."

"Besides a hostage situation?" Steve asked and turned to look where Chin was pointing. There sitting in plain view was a Jeep Wrangler. _Angels_ Jeep Wrangler. He rushed over to the laptop and searched the footage for the owner of the vehicle. There, sitting under a small table, was Angel and Mary.

The situation lasted an hour before Angel made a move. Steve had called a few times, hoping to get the man to cooperate but he wouldn't budge. So now it was up to her.

"Mary when he drops his gun I want you to grab it quick ok." Angel whispered.

"You and my brother are definitely meant to be. You're both crazy as hell."

Angel gave a small smile before jumping onto one of the men. He let off a shot on accident from being startled and Angel knocked the gun out of his hand. She punched the man as hard as she could four times and dove for the gun that was kicked in the opposite direction of Mary. She turned to her back and kicked the man in the balls, then in the face when he fell over. Flipping to her stomach, she aimed the gun for the angry father who now had his ex-wife in a headlock with a gun pointed at Angel.

"Five-O. Put the gun down." She demanded and slowly stood to her feet.

"I'll kill her."

"You'll be dead before you even get that gun pointed at her." Angel told him confidently. He scoffed and started to move his arm. She sent off a warning shot near his foot and he stopped. "Think I'm joking?"

"She took my son from me. This bitch and her abusive boyfriend. All I want is my son back."

"You were the one who abused us, with all of your drinking and screaming. Your son wants nothing to do with you!" The woman struggled to get out. He pulled her harder against him and she let out a cry. Angel lowly growled at the man and took a step toward him.

"Do you really think this is the best way to get him back? By killing his mom? Where will that leave him then?" She asked. "I'll tell you where. In a foster home. Dead mom and a dad in prison, your son will have a wonderful story to tell about where he came from."

"I just want him back. I've been sober for six months and she won't even let me see him."

"So you talk to her. You don't take her and twenty other people hostage. Even if you don't kill her, you're still going to do some jail time. Do you really think your son is going to want to see his daddy dressed in orange and have to see you through a thick ass glass window? No real contact, just get to talk through a phone? I sure as hell wouldn't." She could see the man struggling with himself as he was on the verge of tears. The man she had beaten was starting to get up, so she kicked her foot backwards to hit him in the face once more and he hit the floor again, unconscious. Finally the angry man released his wife but didn't drop his gun. He kept it pointed at Angel.

"Alright. Everyone out." He demanded. "Except you. You're staying with me." He said to the young intern.


	13. Chapter 13

Steve waited anxiously outside, gun drawn. He was very scared when he heard the two shots go off, but sighed in relief when the cameras showed no signs of anyone being hurt. There was no sound so all he could do was watch. But he let out another sigh of relief when hostages started running out of the building.

"MARY!" He yelled and his sister ran to his open arms. "Where's Angel?"

"He made her stay in there." Steve's eyes widened and he ran back to the laptop. There stood Angel still in a standoff with the gunman.

"I have to get in there." He told Chin and Danny.

"What are you crazy? That could get her killed!" Danny argued. Steve started pacing back and forth until his phone rang. He looked at the number confused but answered anyways.

"McGarrett."

"_Hey. How are things looking out there?"_

"Oh my god! Angel! Are you alright?" He exclaimed and looked to see her on the security footage.

"_I'm ok. Listen. He'll negotiate my release but only on one condition."_

"What's that?"

"_He wants to see his son." _She looked straight into the camera the whole time. The man had put his gun down and his partner was very slowly returning to his feet.

"His son?"

"_That's what this is all about. His ex-wife doesn't let him see his kid. He used to be an alcoholic but he sobered up and she still refuses to allow visitation. But he claims her new boyfriend is abusive too."_

"I'll see what I can do. Why did he make you stay?"

"_He said I can help."_

Twenty minutes later, Steve pulled returned with a ten year old boy. He called the number inside and Angel answered.

"I have him." He listened as Angel spoke to the man and waited for instructions.

"_I'll open the door but only he can come in."_

"When will he release you?"

"_Soon."_

She hung up the phone before he could reply. A minute later the door opened and Angel poked her head out, then was shoved part of the way out by the angry father. Steve felt his blood start to boil at the way the man pushed her.

"Alright Luka, I want you to run over to her ok." Steve told the young boy who nodded his head before starting toward her. He was slow at first but she yelled out to him in reassurance.

"It's ok Luka. You're safe."

The young boy then ran to her and he was taken inside. Angel was pulled in quickly after.

"Dad? What's going on?" Luka asked his father scared.

"It's ok son. Daddy just had to take care of some things." His father told him and pulled him in for a hug. Angel noticed a dark mark on the boys back when his shirt rode up.

"Luka? Can I see your back sweetie?" She asked and knelt down next to him.

"No!" He yelled and flinched away from her.

"I won't hurt you I promise." She gave him a sweet smile and he slowly went back to her. She lifted his shirt to see a large, nasty bruise covering his lower back. The shirt was lifted higher to reveal an even bigger yellow bruise on his ribs, on his shoulders, and one near his hip. Angel brought her hand to cover her mouth and shot a look to the security cameras.

"Luka, where did these come from?" She questioned him.

"Mommy's boyfriend hit me. He and mommy sniff things off of the table then they get mad and hit me."

Angel was instantly furious. She jumped back and pulled the boy to her when his father started throwing things and breaking chairs in anger.

"KELEKA STOP!" She yelled.

"I KNEW IT! I WILL KILL THEM!"

"You can't! What good will that do?" Angel yelled back at him.

"Something has to be done! The police won't do anything. I already tried. The man is a lawyer! No one believed me!"

"I believe it! And my team will believe it too!"

"Please. Why would your team believe anything like this?"

"Because Five-O isn't like any other team. We believe in the underdog and would do anything and everything to protect an innocent child. You said it yourself, I'm with Five-O and maybe I can help." Angel told him with pride. "But I can't do anything about it in here. What did you mean when you said you already tried?"

"I went to HPD. I filed a report and the detective who saw me said he would look into it but he never did. He just swept it under the rug."

"Let me make a call. We can help you but you have to _let _us help you and I'm going to need the name of the detective you talked to."

"Detective Kaleo." Keleka said and gave her a nod, so she rushed to the phone. Steve immediately picked up on the other end.

"_What's going on? We heard crashing sounds. Is everything ok?"_

"Steve. His son is being abused."

"_What? How do you know?"_

"His torso is covered in bruises. They're doing drugs too." She whispered into the phone.

"_Luka told you this?"_

"Yes and I believe him. Steve we have to help."

"_Well I can't do anything to help with you stuck in there. He's only making it harder on himself by doing this."_

"He said he went to HPD once already but the detective he spoke to just swept it under the rug."

"_What was the detective's name?"_

"Kaleo." She was answered with a moment of silence before Steve responded.

"_Are you sure that was his name?"_

"Yeah why?"

"_He was a dirty cop we put in prison last year. Tell him to let you go and turn himself in and we will help in any way that we can."_

She hung up the phone and turned to see Keleka crying and hugging his son.

"Keleka. The detective you talked to about the abuse swept it under the rug because he was dirty. My team put him in prison last year."

"Does that mean you're going to help?" he asked, sounding hopeful.

"Yes. But we can't do anything while we're in this situation. You have to let me go so I can." She reassured him.

"Will I go to jail?"

"Only until we get this figured out. I will make sure you don't stay in for long."

He nodded and went to the door. Slowly, he opened it and put his hands in the air. Angel walked with Luka to follow his father and they watched as Danny and Steve arrested him. Kelekas ex wife ran to her son but Angel stopped her.

"Back off!" She said and stood in front of Luka.

"Who do you think you are? That is my son!" The woman yelled at her.

"The son that you abuse? I don't think so. Back the hell away from him, before I _make _you back away." Angel told the woman menacingly. When the woman attempted to slap Angel, she blocked it and punched her square in the jaw. Steve ran over and pulled her away before any more damage could be done. He walked Angel and Luka away while Danny arrested Lukas mother.

"Where are they taking my dad?" Luka asked.

"He's going away for a little while but you'll see him again soon." Angel reassured him.

Soon they heard a struggle and on officer was knocked to the ground.

"Hey bitch!"

Angel turned around just in time to hear the gun go off and felt a searing pain through her abdomen.

"NO!" Steve yelled and the woman was shot. Angel slowly dropped into Steve's arms and they stumbled to the ground.

"I NEED A MEDIC!" He yelled and pushed his hand onto the wound. Blood was seeping out through his fingers as she gasped for air.

"Steve?"

"Angel it's ok. You're going to be ok."

"Sir you need to move." An EMT ordered Steve and he backed away. They moved quickly to get her ready for transport to the hospital. She was put on a stretcher and wheeled to the ambulance.

"Her heart rate is dropping!" One of them yelled and Steve went pale. He didn't know what to do until they started yelling at him.

"Sir are you coming with us?"

He nodded quickly and jumped into the back of the waiting ambulance.

"Danny take care of the kid! Call her parents." He yelled out before the doors slammed closed. He held her hand the whole ride and his eyes never left hers. It didn't take long before they were rushing her into the hospital and directly to the O.R.

"Sir you can't go any farther." A nurse told him and he was stopped at the doors. He stood staring at the swinging doors for ten minutes before the rest of Five-O came running in with Mary.

"Steve!" Mary yelled and ran into her brothers arms. "She's going to be ok. I know she will."

Steve didn't do anything but nod. He never said a word until Angels parents had come in as well.

"Mr. and Mrs. Johnson." He said when he approached the distraught couple.

"Steve! Is she ok? What happened?" Angel's mother asked, very scared. He explained what happened slowly and carefully. Her mother broke down into tears and her father held her close.

Chin was able to get them a private waiting room so they could wait in silence. It was close to an hour before a doctor came in.

"Alright. The bullet went through her appendix and caused it to burst but got stuck in the edge of her stomach. We had to completely remove her appendix but we were able to repair everything with no problem. She's going to be fine. We have her completely sedated right now and she's in ICU. I can show you her room if you would like." He told them and they followed him down the hall and through a set of doors before stopping at a room. Her parents and Steve went in first. And there she was, lying on the bed. Completely still. The only movement she made was the rising and falling of her chest as she breathed. Her parents went directly to her side but Steve stood near the wall. Unable to move closer. It only took a moment before he turned and walked out of the room and straight out of the hospital. Mary ran after him and when he finally stopped, she saw a sight that she hadn't seen in years.

Steve McGarrett was crying.

After calming him down and walking with him back to her room, Mary went home with the rest of the team. Angel's parents sat by her side for a few hours until they too left. Steve sat in the chair next to her bed and waited. Nurses had come to check on her and gave him sympathetic smiles. It was nearing five a.m. when he finally gave up on the fight to stay awake and he laid his head on the edge of her bed. Drifting into a deep sleep in minutes.


	14. Chapter 14

She woke to the sound of a steady beep. When she opened her eyes, all she saw was white. White walls, white bed, white monitors. She blinked a few times to clear her eyes and noticed someone lying on the left side of the bed. A mess of dark hair was all she saw but knew exactly who it was. A nurse then entered, interrupting her thoughts.

"You're awake. Welcome back." She whispered. "I was just coming to get your vitals."

"How long have I been out?" Angel asked as she wrapped a blood pressure cuff around her arm.

"Eighteen hours." The nurse confirmed. Her name tag read Betty.

"Has he been here the whole time?"

"Hasn't left your side since you were brought into ICU. You are a very lucky young lady. You have quite the man on your hands here. He's told me lots of wonderful things about you." She told her with a wink. "Everything looks good. I'll let your doctor know you're awake." With a pat on her hand, she smiled and left. Angel looked back to the man asleep on the edge of her bed. A smile worked its way across her features as she lifted her hand to play with his hair. He grunted and slowly lifted his head off the bed. Her hand slid down his forehead and stopped to rest on his cheek. She watched as he blinked a few times then wiped the small drool line off his chin.

"Angel!" He said and leaned toward her. She lifted her arms and gratefully accepted a hug from him. He planted kisses across her face and she giggled when the stubble on his chin and cheeks tickled her. "I'm so glad your ok!"

"Me too." She replied and smiled at her man. "The nurse said you've been here all night. You really never left?"

"Only to use the bathroom but even then it was just a few feet away." Before she could reply, Betty the nurse, and a doctor came into the room.

"Welcome back! Lets check you out!" The doctor exclaimed. Steve stood from his chair and stood at the end of her bed. He watched as they lifted her gown and examined the wound. The doctor nodded in approval and proceeded to check everything else on her to make sure she was ok. "Everything looks great! How much pain are you in now?"

"Not a whole lot but it does hurt. When can I go home?" Everyone in the room laughed, except Angel. She was serious.

"Not for a couple of days. We need to make sure you are a-ok before we send you out those doors." The doctor told her and shook Steve's hand before walking out. Steve walked back to the edge of her bed and watched as Betty removed the old bandages.

"I will be right back with fresh bandages alright." She gave the couple a smile before leaving herself. Steve wasted no time and leaning down to capture her lips with his own. They shared a moment of passion before breaking apart and touching heads together. There was a moment of silence before they heard a grumbling noise.

"Hungry?" Steve chuckled.

"Starving!" She answered with a giggle.

Betty returned a moment later, with company.

"Oh my baby is ok!" Angels mother exclaimed happily. She ran to her daughters side and hugged her the best she could.

"Hi momma. Daddy." She said with a smile. "Hey Betty can I eat anything?"

"Of course. Nothing too heavy but yes you are free to eat." She replied while fixing her dressings.

"I can run and get you something if you want." Steve offered. She smiled and nodded.

"That would be awesome!"

"I'll be right back then."

Thirty minutes later, he was showered, dressed, and walking back through the hospital carrying a bag of food. He was greeted with a large smile from the young woman who he was beginning to deeply care about.

"Rainbows! My favorite!"

"I figured you would enjoy this the most."

They ate and laughed and she slightly teared up when the laughter hurt her wound. The next night, after Angel demanded Steve go to the office to do some work, he returned with news and food.

"Luke is with his aunt in Waikiki and will stay with her for good. Since Keleka went to jail and his mom shot you, she was the closest relative."

"What about his moms boyfriend? What did we find out about him?" Angel asked as she took a drink of the vanilla shake Steve bought her.

"We got a warrant and raided his house. Found guns, drugs, and found out he had connections to a prostitution ring. They are also looking all of the cases he worked to check if anyone was wrongfully charged. So he's in prison. Lukas mom will be as well for child abuse, neglect, and taking part in the prostitution."

"I'm just glad we could help Luka, No child deserves to go through that."

"You really are an angel you know that." Steve told her with a smile. She blushed and looked away quickly. When she looked back at him she was surprised to have his lips quickly meet hers.

Four days later, she was cleared to go home.

"You have to take it easy. We don't want to see you in here again until those stitches have to come out, understand?" The doctor ordered as she signed the release forms. Angel nodded and gave the doctor a sweet smile before she bid goodbye and made the happy walk out of the hospital. Steve carried a bag of her belongings and held her hand as they walked. She couldn't help but smile when the sun touched her skin and she let out a loud sigh of happiness.

"I have never been so happy to be outside before." She told Steve happily.

The days slowly passed and before they knew it Christmas was upon them. Angel was moving around very well for someone who had been shot a week ago. Though her mother tried to keep her in bed, Angel was up and helping with dinner. Steve had already come by with Mary, Danny and Grace, and was sitting in the living room watching football with her father.

"So Angel, I have a question." Her mother asked while she cut an onion. Angel nodded and slowly bent to put a pan in the oven.

"Whats that?" She replied and took a quick drink of water when she turned back to the counter.

"How long have you and Steve been seeing each other?" Angel spit a little of the water out and nearly choked on the rest.

"What?" She asked her mother dumbfounded. Her mother, Becky, gave her a knowing look before smiling at her middle daughter. "Laura! Did you sell me out?"

"No! I swear I didn't tell her!" Her sister argued. Their mother laughed at the two of them.

"Oh sweetheart its alright. When I went to see you the other morning in the hospital, he was lying in bed with you. You looked very happy together. Not to mention how much time you have been spending with him. It didn't take much for me to figure out."

"Is daddy mad?" Angel asked quietly.

"Please. That man is as blind as a bat. I doubt he even knows anything." Her mother confirmed with a wave of her hand. Angel proceeded to tell her mother about her relationship with Steve. All she received was smiles and well wishes. She heard a phone ring in the other room and her heart stopped for a moment.

"McGarrett…Yes sir…I'm on my way."

Angel frowned when he came into the kitchen. He gave her a small smile and she sighed.

"I have to leave. But only for a little bit."

"No. Where are you going?" Her mother asked.

"I just have to take care of something real quick. I'll be back don't worry." He answered and opened his arms to Angel. She stepped forward and gave him a hug before he pulled away and left. Angel waited as patiently as she could. But she couldn't help being anxious. She should have went with him. He could have used her help. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the front door opening. She rushed out of the kitchen to see Steve standing in the doorway with a large smile on his face.

"Alright. I have a special Christmas surprise for all of you. Since Angel brought Mary to see me for my gift this year, I felt it was only right if I return the favor. You all have been very generous and welcoming to both Mary and I so I have a gift for you." He said and moved to the side. Angels parents stood from the couch and waited to see what or who would come through the door. Laura let out a small scream and their mother sobbed when the person stepped through.

After ten months, dressed head to toe in camo, stood Angels older brother.


	15. Chapter 15

"Merry Christmas!" He yelled and dropped his bags. Her mother ran to him first and cried into her son's chest. Her father soon followed. Angel stood in tears of joy and walked forward to capture her brother Josh in a hug when her parents finally stepped away minutes later. Her siblings all crowded around her and they hugged for what seemed like hours but were only minutes.

"How long are you home for?" Laura asked, wiping tears away.

"For good. I was supposed to be home in a month, but my new buddy Steve here pulled some strings and got me here early. My deployment is done and I didn't re-enlist. So I'm done." The family cheered and all came together in one giant bear hug. Once they broke apart, Angel went straight to Steve and gave him the biggest hug she could muster.

"Thank you. So much. You have no idea how much this means to my family. To me."

"Well it's only right that families are together on Christmas." He replied, using the same line she gave him. They shared a smile before she went back to her brother. A little while later they all sat around the dinner table laughing and sharing stories to inform Josh of what had been happening over the past year.

"So you got shot after punching this dudes wife for abusing her kid?" Josh asked after she told him of her stay in the hospital.

"Yeah. If I wouldn't have been standing there, she could have shot her son." Angel nodded.

"Wild. How did you get a warrant through so fast?" He asked Steve curiously.

"The judge said she grew up in a foster home and didn't want Luka to go through that so she gave the rights to his aunt and signed the warrant right away." Steve answered with a smile. Josh nodded and continued listening to other stories. Angel and Steve shared a look, which didn't go unnoticed by her father. He looked between the two and sighed quietly. Her mother patted his hand and smiled.

Later that night, after their guests left, Angel was helping her brother set up an air mattress on the floor of her bedroom.

"Are you sure it's alright I'm sleeping on your floor?" Josh asked her when she tossed a pillow to him.

'Would you rather be on the couch?" She replied and tossed another pillow in his direction. He laughed and shook his head.

"I've slept on worse." He shrugged. Angel frowned and turned out the light before lying down. She waited until the sound of steady breathing came from the floor next to her. Quietly, she got up and changed into a pair of jeans and put a sweater over her tank top. She looked over her shoulder at her brother before sliding her window open and sliding through. Taking a moment to think if she really wanted to jump onto the branch, she took a breath and made the leap. A gasp made its way out when she landed and she clutched her side. A throbbing pain started and didn't stop even when she was seated on Steve's couch.

"You jumped onto a tree branch?" He asked as she lifted her shirt to reveal a small amount of blood trickling out of her wound.

"How else was I supposed to sneak out? Go out the front door? No thanks." She replied and walked to the kitchen. Steve followed after her and watched her attempt to stop the bleeding.

"Do you know how bad you could have been hurt? We could have had to take you back to the hospital. You could have ripped the damn thing right open." He said and took the rag from her. A small hiss came out when he pushed down but she quickly quieted and looked away from him. Once the bleeding stopped, she pulled her shirt down and leaned against the kitchen counter. Silence enveloped the room until Steve stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her.

"I just don't want you hurt anymore." He whispered into her hair. She nodded into his chest and hugged him in return. Stepping back, he lifted her chin and softly pressed their lips together. It was gentle and passionate and continued for minutes until things got very heated. Steve lifted her onto the counter his hands started roaming her body while her arms wrapped around his neck. Soft moans escaped her as his mouth worked its way down her jaw to her neck and his hands slowly roamed up her back. Her eyes nearly popped out of her head when she felt her shirt being lifted off.

"Steve. Stop."

"Hmm?"

"Stop. Please?" His head snapped up and he pulled her shirt back into place before stepping back. There was a slight awkwardness in the air as they avoided eye contact. Before long, Angel hopped off the counter and gave him a smile.

"I should get going."

"Ok."

So she left. Sneaking back into her room proved more difficult than getting out. She had almost made it all the way in her window until a voice startled her and she fell the rest of the way in her room.

"BOO!"

She hit the floor with a thud when her brother spoke out. Groaning, she stood and flipped him off.

"Thanks jackass. You scared the hell out of me." She said and lifted her shirt to check her stitches.

"Out seeing your boyfriend this fine Christmas Eve?" Her brother asked from the floor after she laid in her bed.

"None of your business."

"I'm not stupid wings. I saw the way you two look at each other. It's pretty easy to see how much you two care about one another."

Angel smiled at the nickname and thought about Steve. She was starting to care very deeply for the older man. But as the weeks passed, the sexual tension grew between them and it was becoming very difficult for the two to be around each other. She wanted to be with him, badly, but wasn't sure if she was ready. Then things hit rock bottom. Two months after Christmas, Angel was sneaking back into her bedroom. As soon as her feet hit the floor, the light came on and her very angry father was leaning against the door.

"Where the hell have you been?"

"Nowhere?" She shrugged. Her mother came to stand behind him and sent her daughter a sad look. Josh had also joined them but didn't say anything.

"You are forbidden from seeing Steve McGarrett ever again."

"I'm 18 daddy. You can't stop me." Angel argued back.

"As long as you live under my roof, you will live by my rules! I refuse to have my daughter dating someone ten years older than her!" He yelled and stepped further into the room.

"Who cares! He is a very respectful guy! He treats me way better than any guy my age would!" She yelled to him and sat on her bed. "Besides, you can't stop me from seeing him when I work for him!"

"Not anymore."

"What?"

"I called the Governor today and canceled your internship. You will be returning to school, full time." Her eyes grew large and anger boiled in her body.

"That's not fair!" She yelled to her father, jumping off the bed.

"Andrew, don't do that to her." Her mother agreed, finally making herself known.

"It is FINAL! You are done with Five-O and you are DONE with Steve McGarrett!" He finished and stormed out of her room. Angel let a tear fall and sat on her bed. Her mother rushed to her side and comforted her daughter.

"He can't do this mom. It's not fair."

"He's only looking out for you sweetheart. He's your father. He'll come around." Her mother said and softly held her hand. "But this is all my fault. We were talking and I accidentally let it slip that you were with him. I'm sorry honey."

"It's ok. He had to find out sooner or later." Angel shrugged. "Steve is an amazing guy though! I don't understand why he's so against me being with him." Then the waterworks started. Tears fell fast and she sobbed hard against her mother's chest. Steve understood her father's reasoning but he refused to stop seeing her. She snuck out as much as she could, mainly when she said she was staying at Laura's.

One day, about a week before Valentine's Day, Angel sat on the couch between her brothers, watching them play a video game. She hadn't seen Steve in a couple of days because a lock had been put on her window, thanks to her father.

"Cheer up wings. Things will get better." Her brother said and she snorted in return.

"I feel like a prisoner. He put a lock on my window! Can you believe that!" She whispered angrily. Her little brother laughed and she shoved him off the couch, causing Josh to win.

"Hey that's cheating!" Jacob yelled as Josh celebrated. The three laughed until a knock at the door was heard.

"I got it." Their mother yelled. The door was opened to reveal a distraught Danny Williams on the other side.

"Hello Danny. Come in." She said and opened the door wider for him to enter.

"Mrs. Johnson, pleasure to see you. Is Angel home?"

"What's up Danno?" Angel said and walked to the older man. Her father entered the room as well.

"Steve's in trouble."

"What? What kind of trouble?" Angel asked worriedly.

"He went with Jenna to get her fiancé back but she was working for Wo Fat. And now Steve and Jenna are both being held hostage in North Korea."

"Korea?" Josh asked. "That's not good."

"We're going to get him. Joe is meeting us at Hickam."

"I'm going with you." Angel told him and turned to run up the stairs to her room. Her father grabbed her arm to stop her.

"No. You are not." Her father demanded.

"Yes I am daddy! Steve needs our help! You can't stop me!" She replied and ripped her arm out of his hand before running up the stairs.

"I'm going too." Josh said. "Steve is a good man and I'm not letting her get hurt either." And followed her to grab his gear. Andrew gave Danny a scolding look but he stood his ground against the older man. Minutes later, Angel and Josh were back down the stairs, changed and ready to go. Angel ran past Danny to his car before her parents could say anything else to her.

"You and Steve are like twins or something. You jump at the chance to do anything, no matter how crazy." Danny shook his head at her when he jumped into the driver's seat. They met Joe at the air field and boarded a plane. Soon enough they were landing in North Korea. Angel was a bundle of nerves as they jumped in a truck and made their way to see an old friend of Joes. Lori kept sending Angel dirty looks from the bench opposite her.

"Lori, if you don't stop looking at me like that I swear to God, you will be coughing up your teeth for a month."

Josh laughed from next to Angel and Lori gave a look of fear at the smaller woman. After Joe met with his friend, Kono stayed behind while the rest boarded 'Tangerine' and flew off to find Steve. They landed and jumped off, using intel Kono had found they discovered an abandoned bunker with Jenna's dead body.

"She's still warm. They haven't been gone long." Joe stated and they were on the move again. They continued listening to Kono in the headset and set up a diversion to stop the convoy. Gunfire ensues and Angel managed to shoot a few bad guys. When the shooting stopped, they started looking through the trucks. She ran to the last one and lifted the cover to reveal a bloodied Steve McGarrett.

"STEVE! I GOT STEVE!" She yelled and jumped into the bed. His eyes widened in surprised at her presence while she untied his hands before she threw her arms around him and pulled him into her. She softly kissed all over his face before stopping at his lips.

"I was so worried about you!"

"What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here? I'm on vacation. What the hell do you think I'm doing here?" She told him and helped him up. Danny, Chin, Josh, and Joe stood at the end of the truck, smiling happily at the two. Steve limped to them and was slowly helped to the ground. He wrung his arm around Angel's shoulders and she helped him move back through the woods to the helicopter. Lori jumped out and ran to him and attempted to hug him and Angel put a stop to it quickly.

"Back off!" She yelled and pushed past her to help Steve into the chopper. Lori looked at Angel stunned before getting back into the front. Steve sat between Angels legs and held a loaded gun close to his chest. They all cheered when Chin announced he was getting married and laughed when Danny told him not to do it. A medic was waiting for them when they landed back at Hickam and Angel promised to visit Steve later that night when he got back home.

"Thank you." He said before they wheeled him into the ambulance.

"You would have done the same for any one of us." Angel replied and shrugged her shoulders at him. The EMTs wheeled him into the back of the ambulance and Angel lost her breath when he yelled out to her before the doors closed.

"I love you Angel."


	16. Chapter 16

Angel rolled her eyes at her sister as they walked down the stairs to leave their mom and dad's.

"Where are you girls going?" Their father asked and looked up from the papers he was working on at the dining room table.

"Dress shopping." Laura told him with a smile.

"For what? I thought you already had your bridesmaids dresses picked out?"

"No. I have a _selection_ picked out. I don't know which one I want yet. But today is for Angel, not me." Her sister confirmed. Their father looked to his middle daughter but she didn't make eye contact. They had been distant to one another since her return from Korea.

"What does Angel need a dress for? I'm sure prom isn't for a couple of months and I thought she wasn't even going?"

"Oh she is. Whether she likes it or not but she needs a dress for the Governors charity dinner this weekend." Laura said proudly.

"Angel in a dress? I would have to see it to believe it!" Josh said with a laugh when he came into the room with their little brother Jacob, carrying grocery bags.

"You have to be invited and her invitation was revoked when her internship ended. How is she going?" Their father questioned. Their mother came in the room as well, carrying more bags.

"Who was invited where?" She asked with curiosity.

"I'm not technically invited." Angel confirmed, and then smiled. "I'm a plus one."

Their father narrowed his eyes and their mother smiled brightly.

"Ooooh! A plus one. How fancy!" Their mother exclaimed.

"Well you will have to tell Commander McGarrett to take a different plus one. You're not going." He finished and looked back down to the papers on the table.

"DAD!" Three of his children yelled at once. He looked up with anger.

"Andrew!" Their mother said in the same tone. "You girls go find a beautiful dress. I will talk to your father."

Angel and Laura wasted no time and all but ran out of the house. Becky stood with her hands on her hips and glared at her husband.

"Andrew Johnson. Why do you refuse to let your daughter be happy?"

"Because she will not be used then thrown away like a piece of trash." He confirmed and looked at his seething wife.

"You know Steve is not like that at all."

"No I don't know that. But why else would a twenty-eight year old man want to be with a girl ten years younger than him? I know why Becky. Sex. That's all he wants."

"No it isn't dad." Josh interfered. His father looked to his oldest son with anger and confusion. "I may not have known Steve that long, but I know my sister. She may have lost that promise ring you gave her, but she _kept _the promise anyways. Steve isn't the kind of guy to push sex on a girl. And Angel isn't the kind of girl to be pressured into sex."

"You don't need to worry about this." Andrew told him and looked back down.

"I do need to worry about this. That is my sister. I have never seen her as happy as when she is with him."

"Andrew, haven't you noticed how she's changed? She is much more confident in herself. She's grown into this beautiful young woman who's brave, headstrong, and has the heart the size of North America! Not to mention how well her grades have improved! Part of the reason for that is Steve." Becky told her husband and sat in the chair next to him. "And I know my daughter very well. She would tell me if she had sex."

"Rebecca."

"Andrew, just give them a chance to show you how happy they are! Let her go to the dinner with Steve."

"No." He demanded.

"You're pushing her away Andrew and if you keep acting the way you are toward her, you are probably going to lose her." She confirmed and stood from the chair. "Who knows how long it will take to get her back."

"Give him a chance dad." Josh agreed. Feeling outnumbered, Andrew nodded and continued on his paperwork.

"Laura, when did you know you were in love with David?" Angel asked from inside the dressing room.

"I don't know. It just kind of happened."

"Well yeah I got that, but how did you _know._ I mean did he do something to just make you realize it or what?" She questioned once more and opened the door to show the dress she had on.

"I guess it was when we had volunteered at the children's hospital. The way he was with those kids, just made me realize that he was the one. I think it was that moment that I _truly_ fell in love with him." Laura said with a dreamy look in her eyes. Then gave a sour face at the dress. "No. That just looks tacky. Take it off."

Angel sighed and returned to the room for the next dress. She had already put on five different gowns, but none of them were right. She was startled when her sister threw the door open.

"Oh my god! You're in love with Steve McGarrett!"

"What! No way." Angel lied.

"Liar! I'm not stupid! I can see that look in your eyes!"

"He already told me he loved me." Angel whispered. Laura squealed and did a small happy dance.

"Did you say it back?" She asked when Angel shoved her back out of the room.

"I didn't have a chance! The ambulance doors slammed shut before I could." She told her and slipped another dress on.

"That was like three days ago! What has he said?"

"He said he understands if I can't say it yet." Angel said and opened the door. She turned to have her sister zip the back and looked down.

"This is too fluffy. Take it off." Laura said and Angel sighed before returning to the room. "Well it's obvious you do and it would be hard not to. I mean the man treats you like a princess. He practically worships the ground you walk on and you to him."

"So how do I tell him?"

"You'll know. When the time is right you'll just know." Laura said. When Angel stepped out of the room, Laura smiled and nodded approvingly, while slowly circling her sister. "Perfect! You will have Steve eating out of the palm of your hand."

Angel and Laura laughed on their way out of the shop and walked down the street to the small restaurant nearby. Angel wasn't watching where she was going and bumped into something hard. She felt hands reach out and grab her arms before she hit the ground. Looking up, she was met with the most beautiful blue gray eyes.

"Steve?"

"Angel? Are you ok?" He asked worriedly.

"I'm fine. I wasn't paying attention is all." She said and looked down. "I spilled your drink."

"Oh that's ok. Danno bought it." He shrugged. Danny gave him a look of disappointment before going back into the restaurant.

"What are you doing here?" Angel asked him curiously.

"Just getting some lunch." Steve nodded. "You?"

"Same. Laura is buying and I'm not going to deny her the pleasure of doing so." She laughed.

"I see you got your dress." Steve said and motioned to the bag Angel had picked up. The bag was black so he couldn't see what it looked like.

"Yeah. Heels too." She replied with a frown and held up the smaller bag.

"She's all set. Just need accessories now. But we won't have to buy any of those." Laura said with a wink. Steve nodded and reached for the now ringing phone in his holster.

"McGarrett…Alright. On the way."

Angel perked up at the sound of a case, anxious to hear what happened.

"Case?" She asked.

"Yeah. Found a teenage girl dead in her room." He replied and started for the car. "I'll see you later?"

"My dad put a lock on my window. So I don't know." Angel sighed.

"Well in that case." He said and surprised her with a deep, smoldering kiss. He gave a smirk to the onlookers and continued to the car. Angel smiled a large, happy smile and held her sisters arm to keep herself standing when her knees turned to mush.

"That was so cute." Laura giggled when Angel waved to Steve.

Later that night, after a long argument with her father, Angel lay on her bed staring at the ceiling. She was slightly angry so she had rock music playing out of her phone. Her brother Josh came in and lay next to her.

"Why is he such an ass?"

"He's only trying to protect you wings. He doesn't want to see you get hurt." Her brother confirmed. After a few minutes of silence he looked over to her. "Lets go do something fun.'

"Like what?"

"I was thinking about getting another tattoo."

He was met with a large smile and she jumped off the bed.

"Let's go!" She exclaimed.

A few hours, large angel wings graced Angel's body. They covered her shoulders and went halfway down her back. They were black and beautiful. She smiled proudly at the work when she looked in the mirror. Her brother had gotten a smaller, similar set of wings that were only on his right shoulder.

"Thanks brah!" She yelled to the artist when he brother paid for the work. She left the straps of her tank down and walked proudly into her home. Her parents looked at her with anger when they saw her back.

"Angel Marie!" Her mother exclaimed.

"What? Isn't it sweet!"

"Joshua Andrew Johnson!" Their father yelled when Josh entered behind her. "What the hell have you done to your sister?"

"Come on it looks badass." Josh laughed.

"That is not the point. She has a tattoo!" Becky yelled.

"Mom it's ok." Angel shrugged and walked away. When she reached the stairs, she heard her mother start yelled again. "This is all your fault!"

"How is it my fault? I didn't take her!" Her father yelled back.

"If you wouldn't be such an ass, she wouldn't have come home with a TATTOO!"

Angel couldn't help but laugh as she ascended the staircase. When she reached her bedroom, she noticed the lock her father had put on the window was on the floor and the window was open. A note was taped to the edge of the glass.

_Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair._

She laughed at the note, remembering how he had been so entranced with the Disney movie Grace watched with them. Tangled had made Steve laugh like a child, which was music to Angels ears. She waited until silence was the only thing heard throughout the house before sneaking out the now free window. She ran two blocks and jumped into the passenger seat of the waiting vehicle.

"Very nice." She said and leaned over the middle console to kiss the man.

"My princess needed her knight in shining armor to save her."

"I think I like my knight to wear blue camo instead." She giggled.

Steve laughed and started the truck. They drove to Steve's house where he noticed her back.

"Wow. It looks great! What made you want to get a tattoo?" He said while admiring the work. He left the room momentarily and returned with a bottle of vasoline.

"Josh wanted to get another one, so I went with him. Spur of the moment I guess." She shrugged. A shiver made its way through her body when he started rubbing the substance over her shoulders. She yawned and leaned into his touch.

"You'll want to keep it moisturized. This worked the best for me." When he finished he placed feather light kisses on parts of her back. She was nearly asleep from the massage and was slightly startled when his lips touched her body.

"Steve." She whispered when his mouth trailed kisses up her shoulders to her neck.

"Hmm?"

"What are you doing?" She asked, almost breathless when he found a sensitive spot behind her ear.

"Nothing you don't like."

Angel giggled and turned to face him.

"Are you ever going to tell me why we haven't gone that far yet?" He questioned her. She looked into his eyes and sighed.

"Promise not to laugh?"

"Of course. Why would I laugh at you?" He said and cocked his head to the side.

She took a deep breath and answered him. Quietly.

"What? I didn't hear you."

"I'm a virgin." She said louder. His eyes widened and he stiffened. She was starting to get worried until he pulled her to him.

"Steve?"

He pushed her back a little before softly placing his lips on hers. She leaned into his kiss until he pulled away.

"Why would I laugh at that? You have no idea how much more perfect that makes you."

"Please. I am far from perfect." She laughed and looked at the time. "I should go. I don't think getting caught again would help my chances of being allowed to see you."

She was lucky to get back into her room without any problems and went through the next two days of school with no problems. Saturday morning rolled around quickly and her sister was waking her up at eleven in the morning.

"Angel! Wake up! Wake up! WAKE UP!"

"What? I'm tired! Leave me alone!" Angel yelled and threw a pillow at her oldest sibling.

"We have to start getting you ready! The dinner is tonight and you have to look amazing!" She cocked her head to the side when Angel rolled away from her and sat up. "When did you get a tattoo?"

"I went with Josh the other day and got it." She replied. "The dinner doesn't even start until seven! I have like eight hours! Why do I have to be up this early?"

"Because it's a very long process to get ready for one of these things. We need time. I could have been here at six this morning but I was nice and let you sleep in. Now go shower."

After a quick shower, Angel and Laura were out the door and headed to town. First the nail salon, then she made Angel get her eyebrows waxed, then she re-colored her hair before getting it styled. She changed it up a little and put a black peek-a-boo underneath and black under her red bangs. When they finally made it home it was six. Laura rushed her right upstairs and helped her finish getting ready.

Steve knocked on the door and waited anxiously. He was elated when Angel's mother called him and told him to pick her up at home. The door opened and Steve saw Angel's father standing behind her mother.

"Oh Steve honey you look so handsome." Becky told him and opened the door wider to let him in.

"Thank you Mrs. Johnson. Hello Mr. Johnson."

"Commander." Andrew nodded to the younger man. There was a moment of awkward silence before a loud screech was heard from upstairs.

"MOM! YOU HAVE TO COME LOOK AT YOUR DAUGHTER!" They heard Laura yell and Becky rushed up the stairs. Steve was left standing with Andrew and he gave the older man a smile.

"What are your intentions with my daughter?"

"I'm sorry?" Steve asked.

"You heard me. I want to know what you really want from her."

"Sir I care for your daughter very much. She is one of the sweetest young women I have ever met. She's brave, kind hearted, and very strong. You raised one hell of a daughter. You definitely gave her the right name because she truly is…" He stopped his explanation when he caught sight of what was coming down the stairs. "An angel."


	17. Chapter 17

"Hi Steve." She said nervously. The gown was purple, her chest was slightly pushed up and the bodice was covered in rhinestones that shimmered in the light. It flowed softly from the middle of her belly to the floor. Her hair was curled and pinned off to the side, cascading over her shoulder. There was a small amount of makeup on her face which only made her eyes shine brighter.

"Uh, um." He stuttered. Angel giggled and pushed his chin up to close his mouth.

"You're starting to drool Commander." She admired the way his muscled frame filled out the tuxedo well. It made him look very handsome.

"Oh. I'm sorry. You look beautiful."

"Thank you." She blushed.

"I have something for you." He said with a smile and reached into his pocket. Her eyes widened when he pulled out a black box. She opened it to reveal a beautiful silver cross necklace. A pair of wings surrounded the cross as if they were hugging it.

"Steve it's gorgeous! You didn't have to get this." She gasped. He shook his head at her before taking it out and standing behind her to clasp it around her neck.

"It's not nearly as gorgeous as you but its Valentine's Day. You deserve it." He replied when she turned back around to face him.

"I need to get a picture of you two!" Her mother exclaimed with joy. Angel looked to her father who smiled proudly at his daughter.

"You look beautiful sweetheart."

"Thank you daddy." She smiled in return. Becky returned a moment later and started snapping photos. After she took a few they let the couple leave but not without a stern warning from her father to be careful with his daughter.

Steve held her arm in his as they walked to the truck. Like the gentleman he was, he opened the door and helped her in. He made sure all of her dress was inside the vehicle before closing the door. They drove in a happy silence with the only noise coming from the radio.

"You really do look beautiful." Steve told her when they walked into the dinner.

"Thank you. You look quite handsome yourself but the second this thing is over, this dress is coming off. Along with the heels." She replied with a smile.

"Ohh. That sounds exciting. Can I help?" He asked seductively and wiggled his eyebrows.

"Steven." She warned with a smile, knowing he was only joking, and then noticed Kono. "Hey K. You look amazing!"

"Not as amazing as you. I have never seen you in a dress." Kono replied with a smile.

"First and last time." Angel responded happily. Lori gave Angel a seething look to which Angel responded by wrapping her arm around Steve's and smiling proudly. They ate the very expensive dinner and Steve asked Angel to dance.

"I'm warning you. I have two left feet!" She told him with a giggle. But she wasn't that bad. They laughed as he spun her around and they gave a happy smile to one another when she was pulled close to him again. Governor Denning interrupted the music to remind everyone of the silent auction going on and how the money will be used to keep the beaches of Hawaii clean. Steve and Angel walk up to the table of items to find Danny bidding on 50-yard line season tickets.

"I didn't know you were a fan Danno." Angel said.

"Oh I am a huge football fan."

"But you hate it here." Steve said with a smirk.

"Yes but the jerseys here remind me of the jets so I decided I couldn't pass this up." He confirmed. Angel laughed when Steve outbid Danny.

"Seriously? Why are you so competitive?" Danny argued.

"I'm not competitive." Steve replied.

"Yes you are." Angel and Danny said simultaneously. Steve gave them both a look and watched Danny write another bid on the paper. Angel laughed at the two until Governor Denning approached them.

"Commander McGarrett. We have a situation."

"Yes sir."

Angel furrowed her brows and followed after the two men into the hotel. They reached the laundry room where an arm was sticking out of a large hamper.

"Hotel staff found her like this." The Governor said. Angel stepped into the room and looked up the laundry chute.

"She could have come from any floor." She confirmed.

"You are no longer part of this team. I think it's best if you go." Governor Denning told her. Angel nodded and gave Steve a smile.

"I'll see you later." She said and walked out. She barely made it down the hallway before she was abruptly turned around.

"What the..." She was cut off by Steve placing his lips on hers. They shared a small moment of passion before someone cleared their throat. They broke apart to see Lori standing a few feet away with her arms crossed over her chest, looking angry.

"I believe you were told to go."

"I believe what I do is none of your business."

"You know I have had it with your attitude toward me." Lori said and stepped forward.

"Pot calling the kettle black? You started the attitude Lori and you continue to cause problems when you think you have a chance with a man who is already taken. I've told you before and I will tell you again. Back off before I make you back off."

"Do you really want to go there with me?" Lori asked, stepping even closer.

"Oh I do." Angel replied menacingly and took a step of her own. The two started arguing more until Steve interrupted them.

"Alright ladies that's enough. Lori we have a case. Unless you want to be on the receiving end of a torturous right hook, I suggest you start investigating it." Steve said and stepped in front of Angel. Lori sneered at the younger woman and walked past. Steve then turned to look at his girlfriend with a hint of amusement in his eyes. "Hello Ms. Attitude."

"Just protecting what's mine."

"That just makes you sexier than ever. Now really. You should go. I'll call you when I have a chance." He said and gave her a small kiss goodbye. She started down the hall until she realized he was her ride.

"Steve, do you want me to wait until you have a chance to take me home or should I call a cab?" He paused and thought for a moment before tossing his keys to her.

"Take my truck. You can bring it back to me tomorrow."

"Ok. Thanks."

Her parents were watching TV when she came through the door a while later.

"Hi sweetie. I didn't expect you back so soon. Did you have a good time?" Her mother asked.

"Yeah. They found a body in the hotel laundry room so Steve got busy. He let me drive his truck home." She replied with a smile. She walked over to her father and gave him a big hug.

"Thank you for letting me go daddy. I had a wonderful time." She told him then gave him a kiss on the cheek before hugging her mom and going upstairs. He gave his wife a look before sighing and shaking his head.

"Go ahead and say it. You know you want to."

"I told you so." Becky said with a laugh. She too kissed him on the cheek. "All you had to do was give them a chance."

"They aren't off the hook yet. But they're not in deep water anymore."

The next day, Angel received a call.

"_Angel. There was an accident. You need to come to the Kings Memorial right now."_ Kono said on the other end.

"What kind of accident Kono?" She asked and grabbed Steve's keys off her dresser.

"_Steve and our suspect got hit by a car."_

Angel felt her blood run cold and she quickly ran down the stairs and out the door. She jumped into his truck and flipped on the lights and siren while speeding to the hospital. The nurses tried stopping her but she just yelled and pushed past them.

"I'm with Five-O. Get out of my way!" Then burst through the emergency room doors. She found Lori speaking to Governor Denning on the other side.

"Lori! What happened?"

"Steve was chasing our suspect and they ran out in front of a car. The driver didn't stop in time and hit them both."

"Where's Steve now?"

Lori pointed to a room and she started that way but what the Governor said to Lori stopped her in her tracks.

"You were put on this team to be the eyes and ears and let me know what was going on with them. Now McGarrett is in here because you couldn't follow orders. His blood is on your hands."

"You were spying on us?" Angel asked angrily. Danny had then made his entrance and got to witness the showdown.

"No. I was supposed to. But…"

"Yes she was. She had been reporting back to me after every case. One more wrong move and Five-O would have been out of business." Governor Denning confirmed. Angel seethed with anger. Her chest heaved up and down as she tried to control herself but before long, her fist flew out and caught Lori across the jaw. She hit the ground hard and Angel jumped on top of her to continue the attack. She felt herself being pulled off and she kicked her foot out in attempt to hit Lori again. Danny pulled her away and they watched as nurses went to Lori's aid. Blood poured out of her nose and her lip was badly split open.

"You bitch! This is your fault! He's in here because of you!" Angel yelled wildly at the woman being escorted away. She finally calmed down a few minutes later and was able to go back and see Steve.

"Are you ok?" She asked him worriedly. There was a brace around his neck and he was covered in cuts and scrapes.

"I'm fine. This is only for precaution. My neck isn't really broken. Just cracked a couple ribs." He whispered. "I heard you yelling at someone. What happened?"

"Nothing to worry about. It's been taken care of." She answered and placed a light kiss on his lips. A nurse came in a few minutes later and removed the brace. He quickly sat up and stretched his sore muscles.

"Be careful. Don't hurt yourself." Angel warned. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight to his chest.

"We have to stop doing this to each other you know." He said with a small laugh.

"What visiting each other in the hospital? I know. It's a bit ridiculous." She laughed along with him. "Steve. I have to tell you something."

"What's up?"

"Hey boss." Kono said interrupting them.

"Did Max get the samples?" Steve asked her quickly.

"Yeah he's testing them now." She replied. Steve looked behind her to see the Governor making his way to his room.

"You need to get out of here before he sees you." Kono nodded and raced out the other door in the room.

"Commander. Good to see you back on your feet." He said to Steve.

"Listen sir I take full responsibility for the actions of my team."

"Oh you mean for the international incident you caused?"

"Sir, let me explain."

Angel stood by Steve and listened as he explained the reasons behind the days events. The Governor nodded and listened. When he finished, he completely understood. Or Steve thought.

"I'm shutting you down McGarrett. Five-o is finished."

Angel watched wide eyed as the Governor walked away and looked to a shocked Steve. He stood completely still and didn't say anything until Danny and a patched up Lori came into the room.

"What happened to you?" Steve asked. Lori glared angrily at Angel and Steve shook his head.

"Are you ok?" Lori asked.

"I'm fine. Even though Five-O just got shut down."

"What did you tell him?" Danny questioned.

"Everything." Steve shrugged.

"That was your first mistake. Way too honest." Danny scolded.

"Look the whole thing was my fault anyways." Steve argued back. Angel rubbed his arm and shook her head.

"Is this a personal pity party or can anyone come? We did what we had to do to get the job done." Danny confirmed.

"Max needs to get that blood work done otherwise it was all for nothing."

Thankfully it wasn't. Max was able to match the blood work to the Russian man who killed the woman in the laundry room and who raped the victim's sister.

"I can't stop thinking about how beautiful you were yesterday." Steve said to Angel while she walked around his kitchen, preparing dinner.

"You clean up nice yourself commander." She winked. He laughed and leaned against the counter to open his mail. One letter in particular made him frown.

"What's wrong?" She asked when she noticed his facial expression.

"My reserve duty has to be scheduled."

"Reserve duty? What does that mean?"

"I'll have to leave for a little while."


	18. Chapter 18

"Hey. What's wrong?" Steve asked as he and Angel walked through the airport terminal. She had been quiet and slightly distant yesterday and today. He knew it was because he was leaving but he still didn't want to see her like this.

"I'll miss you." She replied quietly. He smiled and put his arm over her shoulders to pull her close. Kissing the top of her head they continued the walk to the required gate in silence. Steve laughed at the small group that was waiting for him. A few large balloons and a sign saying "We will miss you" were being held to honor him.

"We'll miss you Uncle Steve!" Grace said and threw her arms around his waist. He hugged the young girl tightly and rubbed her head.

"I'll miss you too Gracie."

He received hugs from Danny, Kono, and Chin, as well as Angels brother and sister. Steve noticed Angel was standing a few feet away and walked to her.

"Its only two months. It will go by quick." (A/N: I honestly have no idea how long those things take or how they work, so I just made this part up.)

"Two months is a long time Steve!" She responded.

"Not that long. It will be over before we know it, I promise. I'm not going into real combat. It's just training." He assured her. She didn't respond, just wrapped her arms around him and tightly squeezed him. They stood in complete silence until they heard the last call for boarding over the speakers.

"Alright. I have to get going." He said and gave her a kiss. When he started to walk away, she grabbed his hand and pulled him back to her.

"I love you." She said softly and gave him a bright smile. His eyes brightened at her revelation and she watched a very large smile work its way onto his handsome features.

"I love you too." He replied and kissed her one last time. Angel stood with the group and waved when he turned to give them all one last goodbye wave of his own.

The days went by slowly. School dragged on and on for Angel as she patiently waited for the two month mark to be up and her man to be home. It really may have been only two months but it felt like forever to her. She had taken up some extra credit assignments and classes to take up her time. She had also managed to get a job in that time as well, as a waitress at a diner in Honolulu. So between school and her job, she stayed quite busy. Steve called once a week to check in and it makes things easier for her.

One bright Sunday afternoon, Angel was walking through the diner, taking orders. She was busy and hadn't noticed the taxi pull up or the man get out of the taxi.

"Angel honey. Can you get that table for me?' One of her coworkers asked. Angel looked over to see a family of four just sitting down. She nodded and grabbed four menus and her notepad before heading in that direction.

"Good afternoon. Welcome to Murphy's. What can I get you to drink this morning?" She politely asked the family while she handed out the menus. Nodding at each request she wrote them down and gave them a smile. "Alright. I will be right back with your drinks."

Angel laughed with another waitress about a joke she had heard from a drunken customer before loading up her tray with drinks and heading back to the table. She looked down momentarily and didn't see someone step in front of her. Dropping the tray, she fell right on her behind. The restaurant went quiet and everyone looked her way.

"HEY! What the hell is your problem? Didn't you…" She stopped yelling when she noticed the combat boots and blue camo cargo pants. Slowly looking up, her eyes met with a very amused Steve McGarrett.

"Steve?" She questioned then a large smile spread across her face and she stood from the floor to jump into his waiting arms. "STEVE! Your home!"

They heard a few cheers and clapping start to work its way around the diner. He hugged her close to him and when he pulled back a few tears had slipped down her cheeks. Using his thumb, he wiped them away and gave her a long awaited kiss hello.

"I'm so happy to see you!" She said when they broke apart a moment later. They heard someone clear their throat behind them and Steve dropped Angel back to her feet. She gave her manager a polite smile before apologizing.

"No. No need to apologize. Why don't you clean this up then take off for the rest of today. Take tomorrow off too. I'll see you back here on Tuesday." He told her with a smile and gave a nod to Steve.

"I'll wait for you outside." Steve told her and went to wait out by her car. A few minutes later, she was outside jumping back into his open arms.

"Aloha Commander. It is wonderful to see you again."

"Aloha yourself. See I told you two months would fly bye."

Angel giggled and simply hugged him for a while. She felt whole again having him back. They spent all night together and when she returned from school the next afternoon she spent the remaining hours with him as well. After that, they didn't see each other for a little while. He had gotten caught up with cases and she had school and work to take care of as well so time spent together was of little amount. But when his birthday rolled around, she made sure she had time off.

She thought her plans would fall through as she found out Steve had gotten a case, involving Mary who had surprised him with a visit and a job as a stewardess. But Steve was quick on his feet and the case was finished in no time.

"Wow good for you Mary! A stewardess. That sounds like fun." Angel said when she sat across from Steve's sibling in his office.

"Yeah it is actually." Mary nodded. "Until you get blackmailed into helping someone smuggle diamonds onto a plane."

"Hey. You were trying to help a friend. Nothing wrong with that." Angel sympathized.

"I liked that job though. It was fun and I got to travel. But it's all over now." She sighed.

"Not necessarily." Steve said, interrupting them. "I talked to your manager and explained what happened. The job is still there if you want it."

"Are you serious?" Steve nodded to his sister. She threw herself at him in happiness. "Oh my gosh! Thank you so much!"

Angel smiled to her boyfriend and looked out into the main room of HQ where Kono was carrying a birthday cake.

"What's going on out there?" Steve asked and walked out to greet them. Everyone sang happy birthday to him and he smiled happily at the grenade shaped cake before blowing out the candle.

"Birthday boy gets the first piece!" Danny exclaimed and they all waited for his reaction. Angel and Mary laughed when he gagged.

"Salt. It's your favorite right boss?" Kono asked and shook a salt shaker with a laugh. Steve smiled but took another bite anyways.

Later that night, after the salty cake had been thrown away, Steve walked into his home smelling something delicious wafting in the air. He sauntered onto the lanai just in time to see Angel pull barbecued ribs off the grill. She had a table set up for the two of them in the middle of the lanai and he smiled when she turned to face him.

"Wow this smells amazing! What did you make?"

"Your favorites! Barbecued ribs, homemade potato salad, and corn on the cob. All from the grill." She told him proudly.

"Look at you. Woman after my own heart." He said with a wink. They ate and laughed and after dishes had been taken care Angel sat on his lap and they watched the sun set from the beach. When it was nearly set, Angel looked at Steve with nothing but pure happiness.

"Happy birthday Steve." She told him and kissed him with the most passion she could muster up.

The next morning, clothes littered Steve's bedroom floor. But he woke alone. After stretching and sitting up, it didn't take long for him to figure out where she was. He slipped on a pair of shorts and made his way downstairs. Quietly opening the kitchen door, another delicious smell hit him and he watched Angel dance and sing along with the music she had playing while she cooked. He also couldn't help but admire the way his button up shirt looked better on her than it did him.

Take a Bottle

Shake it up

Break the Bubble

Break it up

He watched as she cracked an egg into a bowl when the music paused for a beat then started dancing again.

Pour some sugar on me

Ooh in the name of love

Pour some sugar on me

Come on fire me up

Pour your sugar on me

I can't get enough

I'm hot sticky sweet

From my head to my feet yeah

She finally noticed him standing there and let out a small scream.

"Holy shit! Steve!" She spun back around quickly to avoid eye contact. He laughed at her reaction and walked up behind her.

"Don't stop on my account. That was pretty hot if you ask me." He told her and wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"I doubt it." She giggled nervously and pulled at the bottom of his shirt.

"What's for breakfast?" He asked to change the subject.

"Scrambled eggs, bacon, French toast, and blueberry muffins."

"Where did you learn to cook so good?" He asked as she loaded up his plate with food.

"My grandma taught me everything she knew." She told him proudly.

"Why haven't you cooked like this for me before?"

"I don't know. I guess I just never really felt the need? We ate out a lot and I wasn't going to deny you the pleasure of taking me out." Angel told him with a shrug and sat across from him at the table.

"Well I will definitely have to send your grandma a thank you package because this tastes amazing." Steve replied and shoved another forkful in his mouth. She rolled her eyes at the way he devoured his breakfast and giggled when he went back for seconds. After they had eaten, Steve was helping her put away dishes, when he splashed her with soap.

"Seriously?" She asked. When he gave her a confused look, she splashed him back. This continued on until the floor and the two were completely soaked. Angel had been laughing so hard, her belly hurt.

"I haven't laughed like that in a long time." Steve admitted to her when they had cleaned up and gotten dressed. They spent the rest of the day cuddled on the couch watching movies.

"I have a college thing at my school next week." Angel told him with a sigh.

"Are you going to college?" He asked.

"I don't know. I wasn't going to because I was just going to join Five-O right out of high school but it looks like my chances of getting on the team are pretty slim with Governor Denning on my case all the time."

"Don't worry about him. You have a spot ready as soon as you walk off that stage at graduation." Steve replied with a smile.

"That sounds just about perfect." She said and kissed him softly. Right when things started to get heated, his phone rang. He ignored it the first time but the second time Angel made him answer.

"McGarrett…" He fought to control his voice when Angel kissed down his jawline to his neck. "Yes sir. I understand sir. I'm on the way."

"I have to go." He stood with her still in his arms and she wrapped her legs around his waist.

"I know. Be careful." She said and kissed him once more.

Later that night after Angel had returned home, she sat at the kitchen table doing homework.

"Whats with you tonight sweetie?" Her mother asked when she sat next to her daughter.

"Hm? Oh nothing. Just in a good mood is all." Angel shrugged. Her mother gave her a knowing look and stood when there was a knock at the door. Angel sighed happily, thinking Steve would be here but when her mother came into the kitchen with a dark haired woman, anger flared through her.

"Can I help you?" She asked.

"We haven't met but I'm a friend of Steve's."

"I know who you are." Angel replied and narrowed her eyes to the older woman. "Catherine."


	19. Authors Note

I have removed chapter 19 as I felt it wasn't good enough. I read this chapter over and over to myself and felt something was wrong but when I read the reviews that had been posted, I knew I was right. Thank you so much for your input! What would I do without my awesome readers? I would have a horrible story that's what! Lol. I am in the process of rewriting and I feel like I am on the right track again and on a roll so hopefully I will have it reposted tonight or tomorrow at the latest! Again thank you for those reviews! They are most helpful and appreciated :)


	20. Real Chapter 19

A/N: Here is the new and improved chapter 19. Hopefully you like it better than what the first time around was! I surely do. Thanks again for the reviews and please keep them coming! Enjoy!

"Can we talk outside?" Catherine asked with a small smile. Angel glared at the older woman before nodding and following her out the front door. "Let's walk a little ways." She suggested and took off.

Angel shot Catherine a sideways glance as they walked down the sidewalk. She was slightly taller than Angel. Angel would never admit this to anyone but herself but she did think the older woman was beautiful.

"So I bet your wondering why I came to see you." Catherine said, finally breaking the silence.

"Yeah I don't really understand what you're doing here." Angel replied.

"Honestly. I just wanted to meet the young women Steve speaks so highly of." She answered and stopped walking to look at Angel. Angel stopped as well and looked at the woman confused; the anger of her showing up was slowly fading away.

"I'm confused."

"When Steve broke up with me, I was extremely upset but I knew it was for the best. Things between Steve and I had been broken for a while but neither of us knew how to fix it or how to end it." Catherine said with a frown. "Then when he came on the Enterprise for his reserve duty, I saw a light in him that I hadn't seen for a long time. He had told me that he had met someone who was very special to him and the whole time we spoke of you, he had the biggest happiest smile on his face. A smile that I never had the ability of producing." She stopped talking momentarily to see tears brimming Angels eyes. Catherine gave her a smile before continuing. "He truly does love you Angel. Your parents definitely chose the right name for you."

"Thank you. Steve never told me he saw you during his reserve duty."

"Well you know how guys are. They don't like to admit they saw their ex girlfriends anywhere let alone during their training." Catherine said with a wave of her hand. "But don't worry about that. Just make sure you keep that smile on his face ok?"

Angel smiled and nodded before stretching out her hand to the older woman.

"It was a pleasure meeting you Catherine."

"Oh the pleasure was all mine." Catherine responded and shook the outstretched hand. Angel remained in her position and watched the woman walk off into the night. She returned home with a smile and finished her homework before calling Steve. When he didn't answer, she shrugged and sent him a text.

_Hey. Be safe out there tonight. I love you. _

She lay in bed for a few minutes before her phone buzzed on the table next to her. A smile spread across her face when she read the reply.

_Not as much as I love you. I'm always safe what are you talking about?_

She giggled and shook her head before replying.

_Not according to Danno. Love you more. Go to work._

The phone buzzed in her hand twice and she laughed out loud when she read the text from Danny.

_He's yelling at me now thank you very much._

_Poor Danno :( _She replied then read Steve's message.

Steve: _Danny is arguing with me about how safe I am. I had better go prove him wrong. See you tomorrow. Love you way more._

Around 3 in the morning, Angel's phone started buzzing. She looked at the screen to see Danny's name flashing across.

"You had better have a damn good reason for calling me this late Daniel."

"_Steve's in the hospital."_

She shot up out bed and changed her clothes quickly before running down the stairs and out of the house to her car. She made it to Kings Memorial in record time and rushed through the emergency room doors.

"I'm here to see Commander McGarrett."

"Are you family?" The nurse asked rudely.

"No. Girlfriend."

"I'm sorry but I can only let family go back there."

Danny came through the doors before Angel had a chance to grab a hold of the bitchy woman.

"There you are. Come on."

Angel rushed over to him and followed him down the hall to hear arguing coming from a room.

"Commander McGarrett I am not allowing you to leave."

Angel entered the room to see Steve with a cast on his leg, his left eye swollen shut, and a busted lip.

"What the hell happened to you?" Angel asked worriedly.

"You called her?" Steve looked to Danny. Angel's mouth dropped open slightly at his remark.

"Seriously?" She asked him and put her hands on her hips.

"Your damn right I called her! You nearly got yourself killed and now you want to just up and leave like nothing happened!"

"I'm fine Daniel."

"You have a concussion Steven. Along with three broken ribs, a broken ankle, your lip is the size of Texas and you can't even open your left eye."

"Steven Jonathon McGarrett. What the hell did you do?" Angel asked when Danny finished. He didn't answer and just looked down.

"I'll tell you what he did. He jumped out of a helicopter onto a suspect, and then the two of them rolled down a cliff after beating the shit out of each other." Danny told her, throwing his hands all over. Angel's eyes widened as big as the ocean and she looked at Steve like he was crazy.

"Now what you think you're good enough to just up and go home?"

Steve didn't look up at her, just nodded his head sheepishly.

"You take your ass back over to that bed and you stay there until you are perfectly cleared to go."

He nodded again and accepted her help to move back onto the bed. Then Danny and Angel stepped back and allowed the nurse and doctor to hook him up to monitors and a morphine drip. Angel shook her head at the man she loved before sitting in a chair on the right side of the bed where he could actually see out of his eye. He looked over to her sadly and she grabbed his hand.

"I'm sorry for not being safe." He said to her softly and attempted to smile. This only caused his lip to bleed again. She shook her head at him and grabbed a tissue to stop the blood from going down his chin.

"You are such a Neanderthal." She responded with a chuckle. "But you're my Neanderthal." She saw a glint of happiness in his eye before the morphine kicked in and he was drifting asleep. He was in the hospital four days before he was cleared to go home.

Angel drove his truck as quickly and as carefully as possible to his home where she had made the couch into a bed for him. His eye was less swollen but he still couldn't see out of it so he kept it shut most of the time. His lip had healed quite a bit as well and the doctor had given Angel orders to keep him off his leg as much as possible. That meant she was basically his maid for a while. She didn't mind, he slept a lot with the drugs knocking him out pretty easily. But she had to help him go to the bathroom and take a shower which is a hell of a lot more difficult than it looks.

The first time she helped him take a shower, she had been soaked and he fell out of the shower on top of her. So they tried a bath instead. It was quite comical seeing Super Seal Steve McGarrett sitting in a bathtub with his leg sticking over the edge to prevent his cast from getting wet. Angel had taken a picture of him in that position. She would keep it in a private album, only to be looked at by her. Until he made her mad one day and she threatened to send it to Danny, Chin and half of the HPD. He simmered down quite fast after that.

Steve had improved significantly over the couple months of rest and was attempting to do his own therapy.

"Steven McGarrett, what the hell are you doing?" Angel asked when she returned to his house after school one day to see him in the basement working out. He jumped a little when she yelled out to him and turned to give her a smile.

"Uhh nothing babe. Why?"

"Steven."

"I was just trying to get a little workout in." He shrugged. She rolled her eyes at him and put her hands on her hips.

"You know the doctor told you it isn't time to work-out yet. You could injure your ankle worse."

"I'll be fine. That doctor didn't know what he was talking about. My ankle is perfectly fine." He told her with confidence and sat on a bench.

"Alright. On your feet sailor!" She ordered. He stood instantly and she watched him favor his right side. "Stand up straight! My grandma is 86 years old and can stand up straighter than that." She watched him crinkle his eyes at her and she shot him a look. "What do you think this is a beauty pageant? Spread those legs and stand proud like you mean it!"

Angel stepped back and watched pain start to filter in his eyes.

"At ease soldier." Steve dropped back down to the bench and gave her a look. She smiled and knelt on the floor in front of him. "Do you still think you're ready to work out?"

He shook his head and didn't make eye contact. She patted his head and stood again.

"If you try working out again before the doctor says it's ok, I'll call one of your buddies from the Navy yard to come and give you a proper session." Steve frowned at her and she bent to give him a kiss. "You know I love you but you also know I will not allow you to do anything stupid that could end up hurting you."

A few weeks after that, she was graduating high school as one of the top of her class. Steve had been cleared to start therapy and hardly had to use crutches anymore. Angel stood nervously from her chair and followed the short line of honor students to the stage. A mantra was repeating itself over and over in her head, 'don't trip, don't trip, don't trip.'

"Angel Marie Johnson." Her principal said into the microphone and she smiled brightly at the cheers heard coming from the stands. She shook the principals' hand and quickly walked off the stage. The ceremony went by quickly after that and she stood proudly to toss her cap in the air. She found her family and Steve afterwards and received congratulatory hugs from them all. Her mother continuously took pictures…and cried.

"I can't believe you graduated high school!" Becky exclaimed when they walked into the house a little later.

"Honestly I can hardly believe it myself." Angel agreed and gasped when her mother enveloped her in another hug. "Mom…I…can't…breathe!" She said and took a large inhale when her mother broke away.

"Sorry. I'm just so proud of you."

"I know. Thanks."

Her father patted her on the shoulder and went to the back porch to start the grill.

"Lets eat! I'm starving." He said to his wife who ran to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

The next day, Angel was in Steve's office, taking the oath of a policeman. Or woman. She smiled brightly when he handed her a badge and her own gun.

"Welcome to Five-O." He told her proudly and grunted when she jumped onto him for a hug.

"I'm very proud of you, you know that right?" He said when she was back on her feet.

She nodded at him happily and clipped her badge and gun to her sides.

"How do I look?" She asked curiously.

"You look…" He looked her up and down before smiling. "Like the most beautiful police-officer I have ever seen."

A blush crept its way up her neck into her cheeks and she looked away from him. When she looked back, she was quickly caught up in a passionate kiss that left her breathless when he pulled away.

Two months went by quickly with Angel finally being part of Five-O full time. The Governor didn't like it but she didn't care. He was slowly coming around.

But one day, Angel sat on Steve's couch; laughing about some joke he just told her when there was a knock at the door. Angel smiled at Catherine when she opened the door.

"Hey Cath."

"Wow. Look at you. Officially part of Five-O. Congrats on graduating high school too. I heard you were top of your class." Catherine said and gave the younger woman a hug.

"Thanks. I wasn't like the top kid in my class but I was probably fourth or fifth."

"Still. That's pretty awesome."

The two shared a small laugh then looked to a very confused Steve.

"I'm sorry. You two know each other?"

"Oh me and Cath go way back." Angel said with a wink and giggled when Steve shook his head and blinked a few times.

"I have that information you requested." Catherine told him and handed him a file. Angel looked at him oddly and waited for an explanation.

"I had Catherine run a search for Joe White and Wo Fat." He said and opened the file. Angel nodded and stood next to him to peek at the information. "Japan? What is he doing in Japan?"

"I don't know but that was his last known location. As far as I know, he hasn't left yet. That was the last place Wo Fat has been seen as well."

"Well looks like I'm going to Japan then." Steve told them and rushed upstairs.

Angel looked at Catherine surprised and rushed up the stairs after Catherine left.

"I'm going with you."

"No you are not." He said and stopped packing to look at her. "Its too dangerous."

"I don't care." She argued.

"Well I do. I will not let you get hurt."

"Steve. I'm not letting you do this alone. I'm going whether you like it or not." She finished and stood tall. He gave her a stern look but she didn't back down. She just gave him a look in return. It didn't take long for him to cave and soon she was packing right alongside him. Angel left a note for her parents in their mailbox and Steve left one for Danny on his desk. She followed him onto a plane and strapped herself into a seat before smiling at him and kissing his cheek.

"Japan here we come."


	21. Chapter 20

Angel yawned and stretched her tired, strained muscles as she stood from the bed she shared with Steve. She turned to see him emerging from the bathroom, with only a towel covering his lower half. Water dripped down his sculpted chest and Angel felt her knees go weak. She quickly looked away while he dressed and gathered her own things to shower. Despite them being intimate with each other, Angel still felt shy around his naked form.

"How did you sleep?" He asked from next to her.

"Well having two people on a twin bed is pretty uncomfortable but it wasn't that bad." She answered with a small smile.

A knock at the door startled them and they shared a look. Angel grabbed the gun Steve had hidden under their pillow and tossed it to him then grabbed her own. He slowly opened the door to reveal one of the men Steve had recruited to his team to find Wo Fat and lowered his gun. They started speaking Japanese and Angel made her way to the bathroom. Showering quickly, she dressed and dried her hair before leaving the room. Steve was alone, sitting on the bed when she emerged.

"What did he say?" She asked as she put her things away.

"They found Wo Fat. They're tailing him right now. We make our move tonight."

She nodded and zipped up her bag before sitting on the bed next to him. They shared a moment of silence before Steve stood.

"I'm hungry. Are you hungry?"

"Starving." She answered with a smile. They found a small restaurant and since Angel couldn't read or speak Japanese, she let Steve order for her.

"So what do you do on a covert op to pass the time?" Angel asked him as she took a bite of beef and rice.

"This." He said and took a bite of his own food. "Then I usually just hang out in whatever room I sleep in until it's time to make my move."

But Steve took her on a small walk around the town they were staying so she could do a little sight-seeing instead of staying cramped up in a dingy motel room. They didn't go far and tried staying as inconspicuous as possible. She enjoyed their time together none the less. But soon her fun ended and they were back in the motel, readying for the raid. They both changed into all black clothing and Angel pulled her hair up and out of her face.

Sitting next to Steve in the back of a truck, Angel was very nervous as he gave out orders.

"Angel and I go in first then the rest of you fall in behind us. I've been chasing this guy for two years. I want him caught. " He said and looked at each man. "Dead or alive."

With that, they jumped out of the truck and Angel followed Steve up to an apartment on the top floor. One of the men kicked the door down and Angel raised her gun as she followed Steve in.

Wo Fat sat in a chair, calmly. As if he was waiting for them.

"Stand up." Steve ordered and he stood from his chair. He was immediately arrested but Steve didn't lower his gun.

Angel was nudged by one of the men and she followed him to the bathroom. She cringed at the sight and had to look away. Every surface had blood on it. Even the ceiling. A person had been dismembered and was floating in the bathtub. She gagged at the smell and stepped away from the room.

"Steve." She said. When he didn't move or look in her direction, she said his name again. More firmly. "Steve!"

"What?" He said and turned to look at her.

"You need to see this." She told him and nodded her head to the bathroom. A look of disgust crossed his features when he looked into the room and went straight back to Wo Fat.

"Is that Shelburne in there?" When Wo Fat doesn't answer, Steve gets angry and yells at him. "Hey! Is that Shelburne that you tore to pieces in there?"

"No." He finally answers. Angel shook her head at him and was handed an evidence bag by one of the few American men on the team.

"Found this in his pocket."

"Thanks." She nodded to him and looked through the call log before going to Steve.

"Hey. This is his phone. He's called the same number at least a dozen times in the last six hours." She said and handed the cell to him. He accepted the device and motioned his head to the door leading to the patio. She followed him out and watched him pull out his own phone. Looking out into the night sky, she noticed it was quite beautiful with the city being all lit up and twinkling in the dark.

"_Detective Williams."_

"Hey partner. How's it going?"

"_What the hell is the matter with you?"_ Angel laughed at his immediate outburst. "_You tell mini McGarrett over there to stop laughing. She's in trouble too."_

"Love you Danno." She said into the phone with a smile.

"Listen, we have Wo Fat in custody." Steve interrupted.

"_Wonderful. That is truly wonderful news."_ Danny approved.

"But something isn't right about it." Steve told his partner. Angel nodded in agreement.

"_What do you mean?"_ Kono asked, coming into the conversation.

"It's almost like he was waiting for us. Like he wanted to be captured. He was just sitting in his chair like it was no big deal we raided his place." Angel confirmed. "Basically, he surrendered without a fight."

"_Maybe he just gave up?" _Chin asked.

"No. No way. Something isn't right." Steve answered. "But I need you guys to trace a number."

Angel stood by and listened to Steve give out orders to his team.

"_Alright. Watch your six."_ Danny said and Angel burst out laughing once more.

"I'm sorry did you just tell me to watch my six?"

"_Yes and now I am going to go throw up because of it."_

"Oh well I love you too partner."

"_Goodbye you schmuck!" _

Angel wiped a tear away that had fallen from her laughter and followed Steve back inside after calming down.

A few hours later, they were escorting Wo Fat onto a plane to leave Japan. Steve stopped walking when his phone rang and Angel offered to take him the rest of the way. She climbed the steps after him and proceeded to cuff him to a chair.

"You know, Commander McGarrett is a lucky man to have a young woman as beautiful as you on his side."

"I feel like I should say thank you but then again you really don't deserve that kind of respect." She answered calmly and finished cuffing him. He grabbed her arm with his free hand and pulled her closer to him.

"It would be in your best interest not to disrespect me."

"You don't scare me." She calmly told him and pulled away from him.

"It is also in your best interest to not be on my bad side."

"You are one arrogant son of a bitch you know that." She said and shook her head at him. Steve came on board a moment later and they were taking off. Angel used Steve's phone to check her voicemail as she left her phone at Steve's house. She groaned when the playback said she had 25 unheard messages. Most from her family the rest from Danny.

"I am in one big load of shit when I get home." Angel sighed and handed his phone back to him.

"Parents angry?" Steve asked.

"Oh yes."

Steve smiled then looked out the window confused.

"We're starting to land." He said and stood from his seat.

"That means we're home right?"

"Not this early." He answered and walked to the cock pit. She heard the click behind her and slowly turned to look at the man sitting behind WO Fat to see one of the body guards pointing a gun at her.

"What the…" She questioned then looked up front when Steve yelled.

"GUN!" She watched a struggle start and jumped from her seat to lunge at the man behind her. She kicked him in the gut and elbowed him in the face but he still wouldn't stop fighting her. So she dropped her foot onto his groin and knocked the gun out of his hand.

"BITCH!" He yelled and she shoved her palm into his nose. He dropped back into his seat and she grabbed the gun from the floor in time to hear Steve yell at her.

"ANGEL STRAP YOURSELF IN! WE'RE GOING DOWN!"

Angel moved to a seat quickly and only had one strap buckled when her world went black.

Steve woke a while later, very groggy. He unbuckled the straps around him and stood. His ribs protested him immediately and he clutched them in pain while he walked. The first thing he noticed was Angel not in a seat and Wo Fat missing. He looked around frantically and found her lying on the floor, face down. He turned her over and winced when he saw a large gash over her right eye.

"Angel? Angel baby. Wake up." He said softly and felt relief wash over him when she slowly opened her eyes.

"Steve? What happened?" She whispered and blinked a few times.

"I landed the plane. I stopped it from crashing but I couldn't help the landing. Sorry."

"It's ok. We're alive that's all that matters." She soothed him and took a deep breath. He looked down to see pieces of glass going up her side. "Where's Wo Fat?" she asked when she sat up

"I don't know."

"I'm fine. Go look for him."

Steve nodded and went out the opening of the plane to be greeted by a foot to his gut. Steve clutched his stomach in pain but quickly went on the attack. They fought for a few minutes before they heard a click and turned to see Angel standing behind Wo Fat with a gun pointed straight toward his head.

"Make another move. I dare you." She told him as confidently as she could while clutching her now bleeding side. Fat started toward her but Steve knocked him out with a blow to the back of his head. He cuffed him to a tree then went to aid his girlfriend. Steve pulled ten pieces of glass out of her left side before putting a few stitches in her forehead and a bandage over all her wounds.

"Thank you." She said gratefully and pulled her shirt back down. She helped him pick up a few guns before Steve cuffed Fat to his wrist.

"You're sticking right next to me." He told Fat and started walking. Angel guessed they had walked two miles before they heard a helicopter overhead. Steve waved his arm about and Angel smiled when they landed. But when the men got off the chopper and started shooting at them, they quickly dove for cover.

"What the hell do you mean they're here to kill you?" Angel yelled from behind a tree.

"I killed Hiro Noshimuri."

"Wonderful." She told him sarcastically and fired off a few rounds at the men ambushing them.

"Cover me!" Steve yelled and she jumped out from behind the tree to start shooting like a crazy woman. Steve stood and fought off a couple of the men while Angel finished off who she could.

"You're crazy as shit Steve!" She yelled at him and jumped into the seat next to him in the helicopter. The flight back to Honolulu was quicker than she thought it was going to be and before she knew it they were landing at Hickam. But as soon as the chopper touched down, vehicles swarmed them and Adam Noshimuri stepped out of an SUV.

"Next time you steal one of my choppers, you should probably disable the gps." He said and pulled a gun out. Angel and Steve returned the gesture but were met with about 20 other guns being held to them.

"What the hell are you doing Adam?" Steve asked.

"I came to kill the man who killed my father. Now hand him over McGarrett."

"Not going to happen." Angel demanded. They listened to his lawyer yell at him and degrade him. A moment later, HPD squad cars, Danny, Chin, and Kono all showed up, along with a very angry U.S. Marshall Andrew Johnson. They all drew on Adam and the rest of the Yakuza but Adam was the only one who didn't lower his gun.

"Adam." Kono said softly. "Put the gun down."

"Kono. He killed my father!"

"I know. But if you kill him now, it will not end well for you." She told him and he slowly lowered his gun. When his lawyer attempted to pull out his own weapon, Kono shot him down. Angel sighed and took a breath of relief when they finally ended it. Kono hugged both her and Steve and they watched Wo Fat be escorted to a waiting squad car. Steve stood with his arm around Angel's shoulders until someone cleared their throat behind them.

"You, young lady, are in a world of trouble."

Angel smiled at her father and gave him a hug.

"I missed you too daddy."

She kissed Steve goodbye and got into the passenger side of her father's truck to take the long and silent ride home. But she was back at Steve's the next morning without a care in the world.

"I honestly didn't expect you to show up here. I thought I would have had to wait to see you at the office." Steve told her with a smile as they hugged in the middle of the living room.

"It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be." She nodded. "They were more pissed about the fact that I left them a _note _telling them what was going on instead of a face to face encounter. I put them through hell. Mom told me she cried everyday because of how worried she was. Then they said it would be pointless to ground me because for one I'm 18 and two I'm just going to sneak out to see you anyways so I am free to do as I please."

Steve smiled again and gave her a long, passionate kiss. They went through the next few weeks quickly with cases and one day, Joe White randomly showed up.

"Are you ready to meet Shelburne?" He asked Steve with a smile.

"Seriously? Are you really going to tell me who Shelburne is?"

"No. I'm going to take you to Shelburne."

Angel stood by, with wide eyes at the thought of finally finding out who the mysterious Shelburne was.

"Why now?" Steve asked with furrowed brows.

"Wo Fat is in jail. Now is the safest time to do so." Joe shrugged. Steve looked back at Angel and she gave him a nod.

"It's what you've wanted for a long time Steve. Don't pass up the chance now."

Steve nodded and picked up the phone sitting on his desk.

"What are you doing?" Joe asked confused.

"Calling Danny." He replied. "If I leave with just a note telling him what's going on, he'll kill me."

Angel held Steve's hand as they walked toward the waiting plane. When they stopped he turned to her and pulled her closer.

"Are you sure you don't want to come with me?"

"I'm sure. This is something you should do on your own. You've been waiting for too long to meet Shelburne. You don't need me there dragging the mood down." She told him and smiled. "Some family from Georgia are starting to fly in for my sister's wedding anyways. So I should really spend as much time with them as possible."

"Alright. If you insist." He said and kissed her one last time before following Joe to the plane. He tuned and waved to her which she immediately returned with a smile. Truthfully, her family really wasn't flying in. Her father had called her during the ride to the airport and told her she was needed at home as soon as Steve left. As soon as the plane had lifted into the air, she jumped into Steve's truck and drove home. Walking through the front door, she was greeted by her father and a couple other men with badges.

"Daddy? What's going on?"

"Angel. This is my boss, Bruce Davis, and head of Witness protection, Richard Marcum. They are here to speak with you." Her father answered and sat her on the couch.

"Pleasure to meet you both. Speak to me about what?" She questioned and looked at the two men.

"They need your help."

A/N: I decided to change the ending of this chapter. I have been losing my touch :( and am trying to regain your faith in me! So please don't be mad that I am changing things again! Lol. Hopefully you all like this ending better. You are all right when you say Angel needs to be able to do her own things. So I took a couple of days to think of where I wanted to take this and I think I have figured out a good direction for (yes) the future Mrs. McGarrett. Thanks for all the reviews. Hopefully I won't be having to change many things after this!


	22. Chapter 21

Angel sat on the couch, very confused. Her father had explained what she was needed for but she was still unsure.

"Hold on. This kid is a peace-maker want to-be that you want to testify against the head of the mob here who also happens to be his brother?"

Her father nodded and shrugged his shoulders.

"That about sums it up." He answered.

Angel nodded before asking another question.

"Why me?" Her father's boss stepped in to answer first.

"I've read your file. You were trained by one of the top rated Seals in the Navy. Graduated high school as one of the top in your class. Your scores at the firing range are damn near perfect and it was noted that you have one hell of a right hook."

Angel gave a small smile and looked down before shaking her head.

"That doesn't really answer my question."

The other man handed her two files. She opened the first to reveal Keahi Konapiliahi, mid-thirties, a little taller than Angel, muscular build, black suit, and walked like a dangerous rich man.

"Ok so this is definitely the head honcho."

"He took over for his uncle when he was killed in a shoot out with the cops." Richard told her. She sighed and opened the next file. Kekoa Konapiliahi, twenty three, dark hair, muscled build, tall, and looked dangerous as well. Aloha kid brother.

"Still not answering my question." She told him and handed the files back over.

"The kids been known to favor red heads."

"So I'm the only red head in Hawaii?"

"Commander McGarrett stated in your file that he considers you his go to person in a crisis. When we came to your father with this problem he nominated you. You fit the type the kid usually looks for in a woman. Plus you have a southern accent. Trust me the kid will fall for you no problem." Bruce answered. Angel gave her father a look to which he smiled and grabbed her hand.

"Sweetie. You are perfect for this." He smiled at her and patted her knee.

"If I do this, you have to promise me something."

"What?" He asked with a tilt of his head.

"You have to let it go about me dating Steve." He started to protest but she held her free hand up to stop him. "I've been with him for 9 months daddy. I love him and I don't plan on leaving him. I know you are only trying to protect me but Steve won't let anything bad happen to me anyways."

He sighed and nodded.

"Alright. I will."

"Say I promise." She said firmly with a smile.

"I promise." He smiled in return. She turned to his boss and nodded.

"Alright. What do I have to do?"

"First off, you will have to turn in your badge and gun. Five-O is out of the question for a while."

After going over all of the required information and learning of her cover, Angel lye on her bed, thinking of Steve. He wasn't going to be happy about this. She knew that for a fact. She would already be undercover upon his return and she could almost guarantee he would try and pull her out of it. Then most likely throw a fit when he would be unsuccessful. Probably break a thing or two. Then try and contact her. She could read Steve like a book sometimes. Angel just prayed he wouldn't ruin things. Being her first assignment on her own, she definitely wanted to make an impression.

Angel had the next day off in order to prepare so she went to Five-O HQ with a small box containing her badge, gun, and a letter to Steve. Danny smiled to her when she opened his door and she gave him a small smile in return.

"What's up kid? I figured you would have gone with Steve." He said as she sat in the chair across from him.

"I have some stuff going on right now that I needed to take care of." She nodded. "Listen I need you to do me a favor."

"Sure. What can I do to help the future Mrs. Steve McGarrett?" She shot him a look before placing the box on his desk.

"Will you give this to Steve when he gets back?"

"What you can't give it to him yourself?" He asked and slid the box closer. Being the curious man he was, he lifted a flap to see what she had inside. His head quickly shot up and gave her a confused look. "What the hell is this? You're leaving?"

"Only for a little while. There's some stuff that I need to deal with and I can't do it and be on Five-O right now."

"Do you realize how angry he is going to be when he sees this?"

"Yes." She nodded.

"Do you realize what position you are putting me in?"

"Yes." She nodded again.

"Do you realize he very well may punch me just for handing this to him?"

"Danny. He's not going to punch you. He'll get over it and you will too. I have to get going." She said and walked to his side of the desk to give the older man a hug. "I'll miss you Danno."

"I'll miss you too. Take care of yourself alright?" He said and returned the hug. He gave her a smile when she pulled away.

"I will."

Three days later, Steve was driving furiously through the streets of Hawaii to Angel's house. Danny sat clutching the backseat in fear and his mother sat next to him as if nothing was wrong. He slammed on the breaks in order to prevent rear-ending another car and tapped his fingers on the wheel while they waited for the light to turn green.

"Steve honey what did the note say?" Doris asked as they waited.

"Don't worry about it mom."

Doris turned in her seat and motioned to Danny to hand her the box. He looked between the two McGarretts before complying and handing her the package. Taking the note out, she read out loud.

_Steve,_

_I hope finding Shelburne answered all of your questions and put the demons of your past to rest. I wish more than anything I could be there to greet you when you return but something very important has come up that needs my immediate attention. Don't be angry but I have to leave Five-O for the time being. I know you will want answers and I will give you answers. When I can._

_I love you,_

_Angel_

_Xoxo_

"Does this girl mean something to you?" Doris asked when she finished. Steve looked out the window and didn't answer. Doris nodded in understanding and handed the box back to Danny. The rest of the drive was silent and when Steve pulled up in front of Angel's home, he jumped out and stormed to the door. Doris and Danny followed behind and waited for someone to answer.

Becky opened the door and smiled at the angry Steve before speaking.

"Hello Steve. This is a surprise. We didn't expect you to stop by." She said and opened the door wider to usher them in. "Hello Danny nice to see you again." She gave Steve's mom a confused look when she walked by. Doris nudged Steve and nodded her head to Angel's mom.

"Becky Johnson this is my mother, Doris McGarrett. Doris this is Angel's mom Becky."

"Pleasure to meet you." Doris said and held her hand out to shake. Becky lifted her own hand but gave them both very confused looks.

"I'm sorry but I thought you died twenty years ago?"

"It's a long story." Steve interrupted. "Where's Angel?"

"She's not here." Becky concluded then gave him another confused look. "She didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?"

"I'll handle this Becky." Andrew said and came into the room. "Steve. Angel told me you went to Japan. Find what you're looking for?"

"Yes sir. Now where's your daughter?"

"Undercover."

"Undercover for what?" Steve questioned.

"For the U.S. Marshalls. On a special assignment. It's classified."

"Excuse me?" Steve asked, getting a little angrier.

"Listen son. I know you want to see her but it is very important that no one knows her location or what she's doing."

"Why?" Danny butted in.

"It could get her killed."

Angel groaned at the selection of clothing that had been picked out for her. Skirts, short dresses, and heels lined the closet of her new apartment. She dropped her head to her chest and sighed. A woman from witness protection was helping her set up her new place and she gave the older woman a sad look when she entered the room.

"What's wrong?" Amber asked after placing a box down on the bed.

"These are not going to work for me." Angel said and lifted something out to place in front of her body. It was a skirt that would barely cover her bottom and Angel dropped it to the floor. Then continued to pull more out and dropping them into a pile. Three black dresses remained hanging after her cleansing of the closet.

"We spent a lot of money on those." Amber argued and started picking them up.

"Sorry but they aren't me."

"This is what Richard wants you to look like." Amber replied and placed a very low cut top to Angel's chest.

"Richard has no idea what he's talking about." Angel told her firmly while pushing the garment away. "Look if he wants the kid to notice me and fall for my 'southern' attitude then I need to play the part. Yes we southern girls can dress fancy every now and again but five inch heels and a skirt that hardly covers my ass? No. Not how it goes."

"Well what do you suggest?" Amber asked and placed the clothes on the bed.

"We return these for a refund and I show you what the hell I'm talking about."

Two hours later, Angel put the last piece of clothing on a hanger and smiled at her work. Tank tops, button ups, jeans, and shorts were in place of the ridiculous skimpy clothing that had been there before. She sat on the bed and looked up at Richard when he walked into the room. He had been supervising the tech guys on what kind of bugging needed to be done to her apartment and was finally ready to talk to her. He glanced at the closet before looking at her then did a double take.

"These aren't the clothes that I instructed to be bought."

"I know. I took those clothes back. These will do the trick." Angel replied with a smile. He looked at her with a little anger so she started explaining. "Ok. You said it yourself. I have a southern accent. Therefore I will have a southern attitude. Southern girls do not dress in the clothes you had bought. I need to be comfortable and natural. If this kid sees me trying to force it, he will know something is up. I have to be as natural as I can. Otherwise, this will all be for nothing."

"Fine. We don't have time to switch them out again. So you had better know what you're talking about." He demanded and handed her an envelope. She emptied it into her lap and picked up the contents. Her new i.d., work information, and a few pictures fell out.

"Marley Smith. I work at a bar in Maui and I'm 21 now, awesome!" She said enthusiastically then picked up the pictures. "Who are these guys?" He took them from her and pointed out each man.

"This is Keahi's bodyguard. Weasel looking guy is his accountant. Steroid man is next in command." Richard told her. She took the pictures and examined them closely to remember each guy as best as she could.

"Does the kid have a bodyguard?"

"No. He refuses to have one. Calls himself a free spirit that doesn't need to be watched twenty four-seven."

Angel nodded and glanced over the work schedule. She starts tonight. A nervous shudder made its way through her body when she realized she only had a couple of hours left before she was completely undercover. At that moment, she desperately wanted to talk to Steve. Richard noticed her quick change of demeanor and sat next to her.

"Nervous?"

"Extremely." She answered.

"What do you normally do to calm yourself down when you go on a mission with Five-O?"

"Steve talks me through it." Angel smiled at him. "But honestly I don't usually get all that nervous. I know everyone on Five-O really well. I trust them with my life. They have my back and I have theirs."

"But?" He questioned.

"But I don't know you or the people who will be watching me. I'm not as confident with you guys because I just don't know you all like I know them. I mean I know you won't intentionally let anything happen to me but it's still nerve wracking."

"We may not be Five-O. But one thing is for sure. We definitely have your back." He said and stood from the bed. He had made it to the door before turning back to her.

"Oh. I almost forgot." Angel looked up at him and caught the small box he threw at her. "This is yours. Switch out the sim cards and plug in the small box and you have an untraceable number."

"Thanks."

He nodded and walked out, leaving her to her thoughts. She played with the small box a moment before plugging it in and dialing a number. It rang twice before someone answered.

"_McGarrett."_

She didn't say anything, just listened.

"_Hello? Who is this?"_

Angel took a breath and hung up. She quickly took the box out and removed the sim card like she was instructed. Dropping her head into her hands, she took a long, deep breath and stood from the bed. Hearing his voice helped but she was still nervous. Moving to the closet to start getting ready, she thought of the first raid she had gone on with Five-O and remembered the pep talk Steve had given her while they prepped.

_Her hands shook as she tried strapping her vest on and was failing miserably. Steve came over and moved her hands to strap it for her._

"_Nervous?"_

"_Yeah." She answered and picked up a holster to strap on her leg._

"_You'll be fine." Steve assured her and finished strapping the vest together._

"_I hope so."_

"_You will. I got your back. So does everyone else here." He said and gave her a smile._

"_What if something goes wrong?"_

"_Don't say that. If you go in there saying something bad is going to happen, then something bad WILL happen. You have to have confidence in yourself and your team that everything will go text-book perfect."_

"_I do have confidence in myself and the team but." She tried arguing. He waved his hand in front of her to stop her from talking._

"_Stop. No buts. Clear your mind. Focus on what you have to do to complete the mission."_

"_Steve. We're all set." Duke said, interrupting them. He gave Duke instructions then turned to Angel once more._

"_Hey. You'll do great."_

"_How do you know?" She asked and looked at him worriedly._

"_Because I trained you." _

Angel smiled at the memory and started to work on her hair. An hour later, she stepped into the living room, ready to go. Richard greeted her with a smile and started talking her through it.

"Alright. The suspects will be at the bar around 10:30. You shouldn't have any problem getting Kekoa's attention." He said and motioned to her shirt. She looked down at the tank top under her button up. There wasn't a large amount of chest showing but enough to show she had one.

"I guess that's a good thing then." She shrugged and grabbed her car keys.

"Now you remember after tonight, no contact with anyone from Five-O. We will meet at a disclosed location once a week. You will not be informed of where we meet until an hour before."

"Got it." She answered and walked to the door.

"Angel."

"What?" She asked and turned to look at Richard.

"Good luck."


End file.
